


In Unity, There is Strength

by ibnatz16



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Banshee Powers, F/F, F/M, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Murder Mystery, Original Character(s), Pack, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Pack Feels, Pack Politics, Sacrifice, Werewolf Archie Andrews
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-03-06 16:29:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 22,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18854779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibnatz16/pseuds/ibnatz16
Summary: “He used to be an alpha before his whole pack turned on him.” At that moment, the dark-clothed omega stared at the two girls whispering. “Oh shit, he heard,” Betty whispered.“So what? It’s not like we’re saying anything other than facts,” Zara stated, glaring at the sullen boy. “Did Archie say anything about him? Does he want him in the pack?” Zara asked packing up her leftover food. Betty rose from the table along with her and shook her head. She cleared her throat and said, “Archie really wants to make an impression on the other packs. Having a terrible ex-alpha and junkie doesn’t exactly look good. Not to mention that the hunters have a bounty on Kurtz’s head. It’s a wonder that Veronica’s dad hasn’t tried to kill him at school.”





	1. New Murders

**Author's Note:**

> This Riverdale fic was inspired by the supernatural lore of Teen Wolf.

“He used to be an alpha before his whole pack turned on him.” At that moment, the dark-clothed omega stared at the two girls whispering. “Oh shit, he heard,” Betty whispered.  
  
“So what? It’s not like we’re saying anything other than facts,” Zara stated, glaring at the sullen boy. “Did Archie say anything about him? Does he want him in the pack?” Zara asked packing up her leftover food. Betty rose from the table along with her and shook her head. She cleared her throat and said, “Archie really wants to make an impression on the other packs. Having a terrible ex-alpha and junkie doesn’t exactly look good. Not to mention that the hunters have a bounty on Kurtz’s head. It’s a wonder that Veronica’s dad hasn’t tried to kill him at school.”  
  
“Hiram Lodge is too busy trying to pin murders on Archie’s betas,” Zara said with a chuckle.  
  
“It’s not funny, Zara. Archie is in serious danger. You remember what happened to Kurtz’s betas after they tried to run away from town? Bodies severed, Z. Severed!”  
  
Jughead walks away from his locker and approaches the two girls walking down the hallway. “What’s this I hear about bodies severed? Betty, we’re not seriously talking about the Gargoyles, still? There are new bodies around town.”  
  
“Oh, but your girlfriend is obsessed, Jug. Now, if you two lovebirds will excuse me, I need to go ask Cheryl if she has any inkling about these suspicious bodies. Maybe, something about my ‘horrendous existence’ will trigger a response from our resident banshee.” A flash of red in the corner of her eyes made Zara turn the corner. She saw the girl walk into the girl’s locker room and followed her in.  
  
Cheryl turned her head and rolled her eyes. “Why are you here, lumberjack wannabe?” Zara looked down at her flannel and shrugged. “I’m waiting or are you just here to ogle at me, perv?”  
  
“Cheryl, it’s serious. Have you had any random feelings of late? You know, of the supernatural sort?” Zara asked, walking closer to her and lowering her voice.  
  
Cheryl looked at her with a solemn face. “No, not of late. Have you found a pattern yet? I’ve been mapping as well with Toni, but no actual leads. You know, you and my bitchy cousin could go to the morgue for snooping?” Cheryl said with a smile and started reapply her lipstick.  
  
“Betty can’t. Her mom’s grounded her after finding Jughead in her bed yesterday morning,” Zara said grumbling. Alice Cooper was off being a hippie, but still had time to oppress her kid.   
  
Cheryl made a face of disgust and said, “Never put an image of Donnie Darko doing anything remotely sexual ever again. And, shoo. I’ve had enough of your horrendous existence for one day.”  
  
Zara ran out of the locker room only to bump into a person smelling of candy and weed. She looked up into the eyes of the new omega. “Sorry.” She started walking off but stopped when she heard a faint “wait.”  
  
She turned to look at the boy, who had his back turned to her. “What is it, Kurtz? I don’t have all day.”  
  
“Heard you and the banshee talking,” he said gruffly and proceed to turn around to look at her.  
  
“Great, you’re eavesdropping. Do you have anything important to say?” Zara asked, annoyed.  
  
“I can help you break into the morgue. One of my bet- my ex-beta’s was sacrificed. He wasn’t killed during the hunter raid. I want to find out as much as you do.” At that moment, one could almost feel pity for him. Key word,  _almost_.  
  
“Fine. Just so you know, I have a pack meeting at 7, so we have to make this quick.” Zara started to walk off, and Kurtz followed, keeping his head down.

* * *

 

“I am not getting in that piece of garbage you call a car,” Zara said, eying at the damaged black Camaro. The bumper was hanging loosely off the car and both taillights were busted. “Does it even work?”

“Yes it works!” Kurtz silently screamed, getting into the car sluggishly. Zara rolled her eyes and got in.

Before he could start the ignition, the girl pointed at him and stated, “My mom’s a deputy. If you kidnap me or get me killed in this scrap of metal, you’re  _dead_. Understood?”

Kurtz looked at her finger, then into her eyes and blinked slowly. “Understood.” Zara folded her arms, and the boy pulled out of the driveway.

After a twenty minute drive, they arrived at the morgue. The coroner’s car was still in the parking lot, so Kurtz drove further down the road and parked on the side. Zara stepped out of the car and looked at the wolf. “So, what’s the plan? How exactly are you planning on ‘breaking in?’ Also, when have you ever broken in to know that you can?” Zara asked skeptically.

“Lots of questions, so little time,” Kurtz grumbled. He threw Zara the keys, and she gave him a look of confusion. “In case things go wrong, drive off. I can run fast; you can’t.”

“No need to remind me of my  _normal_  human capabilities,” Zara said, annoyed at the wolf’s bluntness. He walked off, leaving Zara to glare at his back.

The omega slowly walked towards the office and listened carefully near one of the windows. The coroner stated he was going on a smoke break to his assistant, and Kurtz took this as a green light. He willed his claws to come out and picked the lock of the emergency exit. 

After some turns down hallways, he found him, Kurtz’s last beta. The ex-alpha was no crier, but he would be lying to himself if his entire world didn’t break looking at his last friend, dead on the cold metal table. With a shaking hand, Kurtz brought out his cheap flip phone and proceeded to take pictures of the body’s wounds: throat laceration and gaping hole in the chest cavity with the heart missing.

Right when Kurtz took his final picture, his ears picked up the coroner’s dragging feet coming towards the back door of the office. Kurtz took this as his cue to flee, and the coroner saw a glimpse of black when he opened the door, but due to the lack of sleep, he thought nothing of it.

Kurtz ran fast towards his car and got in at the passenger side. Loudly, he told Zara to drive, and the girl fumbled with the keys in surprise. Soon, she started driving off.


	2. Pack Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of a filler chapter, but a necessary one

When she stopped at a red light, Zara looked at Kurtz in concern. “What happened? The coroner saw you?” Kurtz shook his head. “Well, then what?”

“He almost did, but that’s not why I’m…” Kurtz broke off, wringing his hands.

“Jittery? You look like you’re going through withdrawal,” Zara said and in a lower voice muttered, “not that I’m surprised.” Kurtz glared at the human.

“It’s not withdrawal. I saw what the sacrificed bodies look like.”

“Seriously?! Finally! Nobody’s been able to access that information from the police. Spill.” Zara shouldn’t be excited by macabre things, but her detective skills were in full gear.

“Throat laceration and… heart ripped out,” Kurtz said, the memory of his friend’s body forever imprinted in his brain.

“Heart missing? What the hell would the killer want with hearts? That’s, what, 3 bodies now. So, then 3 hearts.” Zara got lost in her thoughts and forgot to start driving when the light turned green, only to be “honked” out of her thoughts.

“Park the car somewhere,” Kurtz said, staring down at his lap. Zara obliged, driving to Pop’s and fitting the car into an empty spot. She looked at the werewolf again, and he truly didn’t look so great.

“You need to get high or something?” Zara asked. Kurtz didn’t say anything, so she took this as confirmation. “Well, lucky for you, Reggie loves him some weed. Probably super tame to what you’re used to, but it should suffice.” The girl stepped out of the vehicle and into the diner, only to go to the back so that she could walk into the “kid-friendly” speakeasy.

Reggie was packing up things at Le Bonne Nuit for today because of the pack meeting. Upon seeing her, he squinted his brows. “You not going, Z? Archie’s gonna give us all the dad lecture on responsibility if you don’t, and I seriously don’t want to suffer through that.”

“Chill, Reg. I’m here for some of that good shit,” Zara said in a hushed tone, spotting Veronica in her peripheral vision.

Reggie looked over at his girlfriend and back at Zara. “Why you need it?”

“I have a friend going to rehab who needs to ‘get well’ before going in, if you know what I mean?”

“Of all things you decide to get high off before getting clean, I did not imagine weed to be on top of anyone’s list.” When Veronica went outside to pick up the lighting for the stage, Reggie opened up a locked drawer and handed Zara the bag. Zara slipped it under her flannel and tucked in her shirt. Pop looked a little suspicious when the girl was exiting, but ignored it after seeing Zara as harmless. She ran back into the car and gave the box to Kurtz.

“Your pack is not so innocent as you proclaim,” Kurtz snarled. Zara shrugged at him and leaned her head back against the seat. Surprisingly, the car wasn’t as bad as she initially thought, but god forbid she drive this car ever again. Closing her eyes for a moment, she let her mind drift off.

After finishing smoking the  _entire_  bag, Kurtz looked at Zara and got a blank expression in return. Zara was shocked that in the mere span of an hour, the boy had finished off weed that could’ve lasted for two days. In response, Kurtz said, “You realize that my werewolf metabolism doesn’t leave a lot of room to get high. I have to smoke way more to get high. Not to mention, it’s fucking weed.”

Zara, still in disbelief, looked down at her watch and realized it was 7:30. “Shit! My pack meeting! You mind if I take your car?” Kurtz shrugged, and Zara started driving out of Pop’s.

After pulling into Archie’s driveway, Kurtz stopped her from unbuckling her seat. “You’re telling me that your pack headquarters is Andrews’ fucking house?”

“What, he likes his place. We’re not a bunch of homeless drug addicts to go scavenging abandoned buildings,” Zara said, lowering her eyes at the omega. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have to go relay information back to my pack.” Zara got out of the car and walked up to Archie’s door. Jughead opened the door before she could knock and glared at Kurtz’s car. “Get in,” he said gruffly.

Zara walked in to seeing the entire pack sitting in the living room, completely silent, and looking at her. Cheryl broke the silence and asked, “Well, how was your rendezvous with your emo boyfriend?”

“A, he isn’t my boyfriend. B, it wasn’t a rendezvous. We went to the morgue to see how the sacrifices are being, you know,  _sacrificed_ ,” Zara responded. Archie came in with some food and motioned for Zara to continue. “Throat laceration and heart ripped out.”

“Do we have evidence of this?” Betty asked. “Any pictures?”

“I’m sure Kurtz took pictures, but I didn’t ask. I don’t know if he’s still here…“

“Oh, he is,” Jughead said. Zara squinted her brows and walked towards the door. After running down to driveway, Zara saw that, sure enough, Kurtz was still there. She tapped lightly on passenger side window. Kurtz rolled it down and asked silently, “What?”

“You know what. You’ve been eavesdropping again with your wolfy senses. But, whatever. That isn’t why I’m here. Give me the pictures of the body.” Kurtz looked at her and motioned to hand him her phone. As he typed her number into his phone, Zara asked, “I hate that I’m offering this, but do you want to come inside?” No audible rejections could be heard from the inside of the house, so Zara knew she wasn’t in a complete mess.

Again, Kurtz kept his silence until he handed her her phone back. “I heard what you said in the cafeteria. I’m not what you would call ‘Archie pack material.’”

“I mean, of course not, but you helped out in the investigation, even if it was for your own closure.”

Kurtz nodded slowly and then, got out of the car. The pair entered the house, and Zara could see Cheryl’s look of disgust, but surprisingly, none of the other pack members looked disturbed. Maybe, an ex-alpha was what Archie needed to show his dominance in Riverdale.


	3. Let's Strike a Deal

Zara looked at Kurtz for the first time in a week. After letting him into the pack meeting, he gave no confirmation that he wanted to be a part of it. Not to mention that Jughead and Cheryl were hardly making him feel welcome, despite Kurtz’s non-confrontational stance. Of course, Zara had no authority over the supernaturals in the pack; they make the decisions, not her, even if Archie valued her opinion. In short, Kurtz was a no-show for two pack meetings, which led Archie to believe that the omega was not interested.  
  
Kurtz returned Zara’s stare from across the cafeteria, and she looked away quickly. Veronica, sitting on her side, happened to notice the exchange between her and the wolf. “What’s with you and  _la bête_?” Veronica asked, raising a brow.  
  
“Nothing, V. He just… confuses me,” Zara said then sighing as she put her chin in her hands.  
  
“Please tell me you don’t  _like_  him,” Veronica whispered harshly.  
  
“Of course not. But, I can be… curious. I just don’t know what he wants to achieve by being an omega. I mean, when your father isn’t destroying Archie’s life, he’s killing omegas. For  _fun_.”   
  
Veronica raised a brow at Zara. “I honestly am surprised Daddy hasn’t killed Kurtz yet. He’s the perfect target,” she said nonchalantly. Zara gave a look of astonishment at the bluntness and ate her food in silence until the end of the period. When she had gotten up to clear her tray, she saw Kurtz leaning against door post. “We need to talk,” he said gruffly. Zara, having heard nothing from him in a week, said sure.  
  
“What is it?” she asked, clutching her notebook for next period against her chest.   
  
“Do you have a lead? You’re supposed to be good at this detective work.” His hands were jittery again.  
  
“No, I don’t. There’s absolutely no pattern between a history teacher, a jock, and a werewolf. Or at least, nothing that I can find. They were never associated with each other at all. No clubs, no activities, no common friends, etcetera. If the sacrifices are meant to follow a pattern, I just don’t get it.” Truth be told, Zara was exasperated. For three whole nights, she had been up, checking databases using her mother’s access codes, but absolutely nothing resulted from the sleepless nights.  
  
Kurtz let out a deep breath and said, “Meet me after school. Two heads are better than one. Maybe, I’ll be of use to your investigation,” he said with a smirk. He then turned and walked away, leaving Zara to her thoughts.   
  
“Why does he want to work with  _me_?” she muttered. She turned the corner and saw Archie at his locker. “I’m sure you heard all of that,” she said, walking up to the redhead.  
  
“Z, as much as I don’t trust that guy, he doesn’t have ulterior motives. I can sense that. He smells of fear, stress, and a little sadness as well. I can’t imagine what it feels like to lose a pack. If anything happened to you guys, I think I would lose my goddamn mind,” Archie said, shaking his head.   
  
Zara patted his back and said, “You’re never going to lose us, Archie. You’re a good alpha; you will keep this pack safe.”   
  
“Zara, it wasn’t Kurtz’s fault his betas died. The Gargoyles were the strongest pack in Riverdale; that’s why they were targeted. If it was the Dark Circle being targeted, we wouldn’t have survived. I only just became an alpha six months ago; Kurtz was more experienced than me to take on the Lodges, and his pack was slaughtered. I hate to say this, but cut Kurtz some slack.” He slammed his locker shut and headed to his next class. 

* * *

  
“You want me to meet you where?” Zara asked loudly to the man on the other end of the call. After his confirmation, Zara hung up and threw up her hands in frustration.   
  
Jughead saw this as he walked out of the school entrance and gave a small smile. “Someone looks aggravated. What, did someone eat all of the curly fries before you could get them for lunch?”  
  
“No!” Zara screamed. Jughead chuckled. “Kurtz asked me to meet him in the old Gargoyle HQ.”  
  
“Excuse me?! That drug infested, murderous wolf den? Nope, you’re not going. Ask him to meet you in Pop’s.”  
  
“His excuse is that it’s the only place he feels comfortable.” Jughead rolled his eyes at her response.   
  
“He tries anything, you call me. Okay?” Jughead said as Zara started walking towards the bus stop. She nodded back at him and ran towards the only bus in the Northside that was willing to cross the tracks.   
  
After seven stops, the girl got out of the bus to see a banged-up Camaro parked behind the bus stop. The owner stepped out and gave a tired look to the girl. “You could’ve asked me to drive you,” Kurtz said quietly.  
  
“I told you, I’m not gonna step into that car,” Zara said with a laugh. Kurtz started walking, and she followed quite easily since the wolf walks so slowly. After walking a couple of blocks, she finally saw the infamous Gargoyle den. Windows busted, sheets hanging to cover up the inside, door completely unhinged…  _could they have gone for anything more stereotypical?_  she thought. Kurtz entered through the ‘door’ and motioned for her to enter. At least it doesn’t smell bad. But, the decrepit place was doing nothing to ease her discomfort.   
  
“You can sit on any part of the floor,” Kurtz said before walking into one of the back rooms. Zara looked around the room and saw cobwebs, destroyed walls, and… more cobwebs. The wolf came back quickly, except now with a laptop in his hands.  
  
“You own a laptop?” Zara asked, wondering how Kurtz owned a flip phone and an expensive laptop at the same time.  
  
“Yes,” he replied angrily.   
  
“And you keep it here?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Zara threw up her hands in surrender. “Let’s just move on to what we came here to do. Have you thought about the pattern at all?” she asked, bringing out her laptop.  
  
Kurtz scratched the back of his head and started searching. “Jimmy said he used to be part of the history club in his old school. Maybe, that’s the correlation?”   
  
“History? Of all things to sacrifice people for, it’s history?” Zara asked annoyed. “No, it’s something else. Maybe, all of them are virgins?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Well, great then. Your turn to pitch an idea.”  
  
“I have one more thing we could search, but it might be a stretch.” Kurtz started clicking away on his laptop. “Were they ever admitted into the Sisters of Quiet Mercy?”  
  
“Those records are accessible now after they shut down, but it didn’t come up in my searches.”  
  
“Well, maybe you were searching the wrong thing.” Kurtz pulled up the public records and found the history teacher with his first name and not his last. “Before the place shut down, they altered the records so that the families wouldn’t be affected. They got rid of all last names and only kept the first.”   
  
“How do you know that?” Zara asked, only to not receive a response. She scooted over to Kurtz to see his computer. He searched Chuck instead of Chuck Clayton, and the name appeared on the records. Then the history teacher and lastly, he searched Jimmy, and sure enough, there they were. “The pattern is being admitted to the Sisters of Quite Mercy. So, all we have to do is make sure anyone who was admitted there doesn’t get killed,” Zara said excitedly. Then, she thought of Betty and Cheryl.  _If they’re next…_  
  
“I am not saving anyone,” Kurtz said, closing his laptop. Zara looked up at him, surprised. “All I wanted was to find out, and you weren’t even necessary in my search. Leave,” he ordered, standing up.  
  
Zara stood up quickly. “Are you kidding me? Do you even want to be a better person? I mean, goddamn! You were better as an alpha of a psycho pack than you are now. Don’t you want to redeem yourself?! Maybe, if you save people, Hiram Lodge will get off your back!” she screamed.  
  
Kurtz saw the girl’s exasperation and said, “I don’t care about redeeming myself. Unless I get something in return, I won’t help you and your golden pack.” He leaves her to go to the back room again.   
  
Zara followed and saw a hole-infested mattress and a dirty desk. She was going in there to yell at him, but looking at the surroundings… “You live here? I thought this was just headquarters…” Kurtz didn’t say anything as he set down his laptop on the desk. “You want something in return, right? What about a place to stay?” He looked at her in surprise. “I’m gonna regret this, but you can… live with me until you get your bearings and find a place of your own. Is that enough payment for your help?” Zara asked.  
  
Kurtz cleared his throat and asked, “Isn’t your mom a deputy? How the hell can I stay with you?”  
  
“You leave that to me. Will you help or not?” Zara asked, slowly stating each word clearly.   
  
Kurtz looked at her for a moment and finally said, “Fine. I’ll help.”


	4. Roomies, yay...

“The guest room is filled with all of our junk, and my mom likes to spend time there when she has time off… so I can’t keep you there,” Zara said, walking up the stairs.

“Please tell me I’m not staying in your room,” Kurtz said, looking up at her from the bottom of the stairs.

“We have no choice. You want a place to stay, and I need your help. I’ll sleep on the floor, you get my bed. It’ll be practice for having roommates in college, I think…” Zara trailed off, thinking about a junkie being her roommate in college. She snapped out of her thoughts when Kurtz trudged past her with his large duffel bag hung over his left shoulder. Then, she sped passed him and opened her bedroom door. “Bathroom is through that door, and the closet is right next to it.”

As Kurtz set his bag down on the floor, Zara went to her closet to grab her sleeping bag. Kurtz looked back at her for a second and went back to unpacking his things, and Zara was looking very closely at the things he was taking out. Black clothing as expected, toiletries, what looked like school supplies, his laptop, and a worn-out black journal… She noted to question Kurtz about that later, seeing it was already 10 pm.

Zara stepped into the bathroom to change only to bump shoulders with Kurtz. He motioned her to go in, and she shook her head. But, neither of them moved. “Just go in,” Zara said firmly. Kurtz walked in without objection this time, and she figured he would take his time so she could change out in her room. She had only just taken off her shirt when Kurtz walked out of the bathroom. Her face instantly turned red as she heard a faint sorry from behind her.

“Forgot my stuff,” the wolf said gruffly, grabbing his stuff, and then going into the bathroom again. Zara, with her shirt hanging off her hands, sighed. _Oh, this is going to be a fun ride_ , she thought. Changing quickly to avoid any more awkwardness, Zara went to put her phone on charge when Kurtz came out of the bathroom in a loose t-shirt and sweatpants.

Once Zara finished her nightly routine in the bathroom, she came out to see Kurtz sitting on the bed writing something quickly in a journal. But, when he saw her, he shut the journal quickly and set it aside on the nightstand. Zara squinted her eyes at him, but again, decided to be a good person and ignore it. She went around the bed to the sleeping bag next to the window.

Tired from running around all day and knowing that she’ll have to wake up at dawn to finish all of her homework, Zara fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow only to wake up three hours later to the noise of the window creaking open. She blinked her eyes open to see the blurry shape of a boot go over her head and onto the window ledge. “Kurtz?” she asked groggily into the dark. Kurtz, now sitting atop the ledge, looked back at Zara before jumping onto the grass. Zara got up quickly and looked out the window to see Kurtz running out of the front lawn.

To say Zara was pissed would be an understatement. She stayed up, waiting for him to return, even deciding to kill time by doing her homework at 2 _fucking_ am. When dawn approached, she heard noises near her window, and soon enough, a mop of ash brown hair peaked through the window. Zara, now with horrid raccoon eyes, glared at the figure as it came inside the room. Kurtz looked at Zara sitting at her desk and could hear loud, angry breathing from Zara.

“Where have you been?” Zara asked lowly.

The wolf rolled his eyes and grin devilishly, “You’re not my parole officer; I don’t have to tell you anything.”

“Yes, but you’re living under my roof. I don’t need to do this for you!”

“Oh, but you do. In fact, you need me more than I need you,” Kurtz said as he inched towards Zara. She slowly rolled her chair back towards the wall. Kurtz leaned down to her eye level and whispered into her ear, “And, I know you don’t want to lose the best chance you got to save your precious friends.” Zara’s heart was racing in fear, and she knew that the omega was relishing in it. He stepped away from her and slipped into bed, still in his oversized jacket.

Even though she slipped back into her sleeping bag, she couldn’t sleep. She only got up when she heard Kurtz turn on the shower. She sat on the floor, heavy in thought. A few minutes later, the boy came out, fully clothed, drying his hair with a fluffy white towel. He saw Zara on the floor and asked, “Did you sleep at all?”

“Did you give me the chance?” Zara asked quietly. Kurtz didn’t respond and instead, went to put on his shoes.

After Zara got ready, she unlocked her bedroom door. Kurtz told her quietly that her mother was downstairs, sleeping on the couch, so the two teens slipped out of the house quietly. Zara sent her mother a quick text that she had left for school. She went to grab her bike from the driveway, but Kurtz grabbed her wrist and ushered her towards the side of the road where he parked his car. It was a wonder that it didn’t get towed.

“I’m not going into that car as I have said before,” Zara said coldly. She tried jerking her hand out of the wolf’s grip, but the werewolf strength was unmatched.

“Stop being dramatic and get into the fucking car. You want to take your bike out when there’s a murderer out there? I know you’re pissed about last night-“

“Oh, I am beyond pissed about last night, but news flash, wolf-boy, there’s always murderers in Riverdale.” Zara tugged harder at his grip, but he let go. She then ran towards her bike and started riding off as Kurtz watched her from the edge of the road.


	5. Another Sacrifice

“Z, you look terrible.”  
  
“Thank you, Archie. I  _totally_  needed that right now.” Archie flinched at the sarcasm and held up his hands in surrender. Zara continued to take things out of her locker and into her backpack. The bell for first period would ring in ten minutes, and Zara… really didn’t want to be here. “Sorry. I’m just tired.” It wasn’t a lie, so Archie nodded in understanding and closed his locker.  
  
“Anything you wanna talk about?” he asked. Zara gulped, wondering if she should tell her alpha about  _everything_  that happened yesterday. “I know you’re hiding something.” She looked up at the boy in surprise. “Wolfy senses, remember? You might not be lying, but your heartbeat is off the charts. You know you can tell me anything.”  
  
“I know, and you’re a sweetheart,” Zara said, and Archie chuckled which made her smile. After looking around at the students leaving the hallway, she pulled Archie into the cleaning closet and shut the door. “Promise me you won’t be angry with me. Tell me that you trust me to make sound decisions.”  
  
“Of course, Z. But, what is this about?” Archie squinted his eyebrows.  
  
“Kurtz.” A single bead of sweat appeared on Zara’s forehead.  
  
“Elaborate.” Zara could feel Archie tensing up, and she instantly grabbed his hands.  
  
“…He’s… um… living with m-me,” Zara stuttered out. She didn’t dare look into Archie’s eyes. She was scared to find out how much emotional pressure it took for him to transform. “Please don’t be mad at me. It’s the only way we can figure these things out. He promised to help us solve the case if he had a place to stay.” That was the gist of it, at least.  
  
Archie was breathing loudly, which didn’t make Zara feel at ease, but she didn’t let his hands go. “Zara, why didn’t you tell me? Why did you not consult me? I’m your alpha. Whatever happens to one pack member happens to  _all_ of us”   
  
“It was a heat of the moment decision. I saw where he was living and knew he had more knowledge about the sacrifices than the entire pack does collectively. Archie, you have to trust me with this.”  
  
“But why  _you_? You could’ve told me, and he could’ve stayed with me!”  
  
“You have more than enough to handle right now! I didn’t want to stress you out when you have to deal with Hiram all the time. I’m sorry, Archie.” Zara was tearing up so she looked away from him. But, Archie pulled her closer into a hug.  
  
“I’m sorry, Z. You did make a… valid decision. Just please, be safe. I know that Jug looks after Betty and I with Ronnie, but you’re alone a lot of the time. I don’t want anything bad happening to you.”  
  
The bell rang, and the two separated to go off their separate ways, but there was an unspoken tension now. Zara was doing an independent mission of her own, and in any other pack, the alpha would kill her for doing so. 

* * *

It was lunchtime, and Zara had the choice to sit with Veronica and Betty but decided to sit next to the dark clothed wolf to which the girls eyeballed her suspiciously. The omega didn’t look up from his food until Zara greeted him. “Why are you here?” he asked quietly. It was amazing to think that this man changes from his calm demeanor in a flash after a “midnight stroll” 

“To keep an eye on you,” Zara replied calmly. She started prodding her food with her fork and noticed that Kurtz stopped eating to look at her. “What? You think I’m gonna leave you alone after what you pulled last night.” Kurtz tensed up but didn’t say anything and shortly after went back to eating.   
  
After a few minutes, he calmly asked, “Have you made a list?”  
  
“Of what? The possible victims? No. I was gonna do it with you in the morning, but…” Zara wasn’t actively trying to guilt trip him, but if it works, it works.   
  
“You should put your friends on there.” Zara snapped her head up at him.  
  
“But, they’re safe…” Honestly, she didn’t believe that, but putting their names down would make the situation too real. Too real for her to handle right now.   
  
“You don’t believe that; your heartbeat went up. Put them down. Anything’s possible here. It could be Hiram killing people, and humans part of a wolf pack makes him even more likely to target Betty and the supernatural Blossom.”   
  
“You really think it could be Hiram? He’s already in hot water for killing your-“  
  
“No need to mention what happened.”  
  
“Right, sorry. But still, he’s being watched.” Zara finished her food quietly after that. Right about when she got up to clear her tray, Jughead skidded into the cafeteria. Zara looked at him with wide eyes when he said, “There’s been another sacrifice.” The entire room quieted down, and Betty raced towards Jughead.  
  
“Who, Jug? Who died?” Betty asked, concerned.   
  
“Betty… it’s your dad.”


	6. Gryphons and Gargoyles

Zara just about had enough when a certain blonde ponytail swished in the air for the umpteenth time. “Betty, you need to calm down. Pacing isn’t doing anything for you.” At the statement, the girl in question looked at Zara still with her thumb in her mouth, mid-stride. Then, she pulled the seat from the desk in the Blue and Gold office. Zara had opted to lean against the doorframe, watching over the worried blonde until Jughead had finished talking to his dad, who had just been made sheriff. 

What Zara hadn’t anticipated was Betty shedding tears for the mass murderer’s death. At the noise of sobbing, Zara squinted her eyes at Betty in judgment, but she knew better than to speak on it.  _Grief works in mysterious ways_ , she thought. Betty, aware of the attention she brought on herself, looked at Zara and wiped the tears away. “Zara, I don’t know why I’m crying. He’s terrible; I shouldn’t feel anything for him,” she choked out.

Zara sighed and walked over to Betty. She tentatively put a hand on Betty’s shoulder and rubbed lightly. “No one is going to blame you for crying over your dad’s death,” Zara said softly. After a few minutes of silence, footsteps alerted them of someone approaching the room. Jughead walked in with a concerned look on his face and said, “Zara, I know you were going to tell us about a pattern. Now’s the best time.”

“Well, me and Kurtz figured out that the victims are all people who stayed with the sisters. That’s the only correlation,” Zara said while Jughead came over to them to put Betty Into a tight embrace. 

Hearing this, Betty looked up at Jughead with calculated look in her eyes. “Juggy, all of us are in danger. Me, Polly, Cheryl… Oh my god, what are we going to do?” She looked about ready to cry again, and Jughead tried to console her while also nodding to Zara to leave the room. 

In the hallway, Kurtz was standing next to a row of lockers and, upon hearing Zara’s footsteps, started walking towards her. Zara said nothing as the two exited the school. It was 6 PM, and Kurtz looked slightly jittery, which made Zara roll her eyes. The omega saw it and asked, “What?”

“Gonna get your midnight fix tonight as well?” Zara asked with a biting tone. She then sighed. “Not that I can give a damn; there’s too much going on right now.”

“You told them about the pattern, I presume?” Kurtz asked, and Zara nodded in response. “What about Hiram?”

“No, I didn’t have time. Betty is kinda… losing it, so I left Jughead to deal with  _that.”_

“Some friend you are,” Kurtz said quietly, while digging inside his oversized jacket for his phone.

Zara stopped next to the bike rack and clenched her fists. “You have no friends, so don’t pretend to know anything about friendship. Jughead  _wanted_  me to leave!”

Kurtz turned around to look at her and smirked. “I smelled your judgement from that room. You don’t care about your friend’s grief at all.” He turned back around and started walking towards the parking lot. 

* * *

Zara cracked her neck to the right and then to the left. She was sitting at her desk doing mind-numbingly easy math homework while Kurtz laid on the bed, reading his English textbook. Occasionally, the girl would look back at the wolf but only for a moment. She noticed that his hands weren’t very stable as the textbook shook in his hands every now and then. 

Finishing her last problem, Zara looked at the time to see that it was 10. She got up from her desk to go to the bathroom in order to do her nightly routine. Turning on the shower to boiling temperature, the girl stripped down and entered. 

After about an hour, Zara exited the bathroom, rubbing her hair with a towel. The first thing she noticed was the breeze in the room coming from the open window, and then she noticed her missing roommate. Her breath was then coming out rapidly with the amount of anger coursing through her body. She said she didn’t care, but she did. Trust meant nothing to the omega, and clearly he wanted to remain the ‘lone-wolf.’ If he couldn’t tell Zara anything, what made him good for the pack? Trust was everything to Archie.

Quietly, Zara creeped out of her room and down the stairs to see that her mother was nowhere to be found, but there was a note in the kitchen stating that the deputy would be working late  _yet again_. She wished she could tell her mother everything, all of the supernatural stuff afoot, but she didn’t want to drag her into a world that Zara couldn’t get out of even if she wanted to. Zara went back to her room and settled into her sleeping bag after turning off the lights, but still kept the window open.

At about 2 AM, the sound of boots thumping onto the ground near her head woke Zara up. Knowing who it was, the girl jumped up rapidly, blinking away her sleep. In a deep and booming voice, Zara asked, “Where the hell were you?! I want answers! You can’t keep-” She was cut off with soft lips pressing into hers. With wide eyes, Zara looked at Kurtz and began pounding her fists against him to get him to let go, but he had a strong grip against her head, and he was much stronger than her. Then, the noise of a toilet flushing flooded into her room, and the pair heard footsteps retreating into a room and a door shutting. Kurtz pulled away from her then, and Zara was silent in shock. 

“Your mom would’ve heard you screaming. I had to shut you up,” Kurtz whispered with a smirk. Zara still didn’t say anything as the boy brushed past her and laid down on the bed after taking his shoes and jacket off. 

Zara turned to look at Kurtz. She cleared her throat before whispering, “You didn’t answer my questions. Where the  _hell_  were you?”

“I don’t need to tell you anything,” he sneered. Then, he pulled the covers over his head. Zara marched over to him and pulled the covers aside. He glared at her, but then smirked. “If you wanna sleep with me, you could’ve just asked instead of being so forceful.” That made Zara flare her nostrils and clench her right hand to punch him. “Just joking. You’re such a short fuse.” Zara still stood next to the bed, and Kurtz sighed. “Listen to me, you don’t want to know what’s going on. It has nothing to do with the case, so I have no reason to tell you. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to sleep.” He went to pull up the covers again only to see Zara wrench open the nightstand drawer of where he kept his journal. She took out his journal before he could grab her wrist and walked over to her desk. She then quickly flipped through the pages until her eyes landed on the words “Gryphons and Gargoyles.”

“So, you’re still playing the game? You know, the game that caused your betas to go psycho around town and then Hiram killed them for it!” Zara clenched her jaw and threw the notebook at Kurtz who caught it before it caused too much noise. He watched the girl pace for a bit after putting his journal back in the nightstand and then, she asked, “Who is playing with you? Your pack is  _dead_. Are you trying to create a new one? News flash, you  _freak_ , when an alpha loses his entire pack, they are no longer alpha. You can’t just recruit a fresh batch of mindless teens.”

“I’m not trying to recruit. Gryphons and Gargoyles isn’t just a game,” Kurtz huffed out, getting intensely angry by the minute.

“No, of  _course_  not. It’s also where you get your fix of fizzle rocks, you junkie,” Zara spat out. Seething, Kurtz got up from bed in a flash and raced towards the girl to pin her against the wall roughly. 

He whispered, “I have tolerated  _enough_  from you tonight. My lifestyle isn’t harming anyone, so stop butting into my business. Your weak, mortal ass couldn’t stop me anyways.” He let Zara go and went back to bed. Zara rubbed her arms after the tight pressure on them and decided not to prolong the argument. She fell asleep in her sleeping bag soon after.


	7. Snooping Gone Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's finally werewolf action in this one, so enjoy!

“I’m not going to school today,” Zara said, sitting on her sleeping bag with her head held down. Kurtz, who had just come out of the bathroom, looked at the girl’s back without saying anything. He heard her heartbeat racing, and that was a clear enough indication that she felt uncomfortable around him. His ears picked up the noise of the front door opening and closing, and realized that the deputy had left.

He then packed up his books and left the house. After seeing him cross the road, Zara started breathing heavily which eventually led to her crying. Not tears of sadness… no, but of  _fear_. She always knew the risk associated with being a part of a werewolf pack, and she was always in dangerous situations. But, last night was different.

She gave a small chuckle.  _I actually thought I could change this maniac_ , she thought. What scared her was the fact that the one time she tried to fix something,  _someone_ , supernatural without the rest of the pack, it blowed up on her face.

After sulking for awhile, Zara looked up at her clock, her vision blurry from the tears trapped in her eyes. She made out the time to be just before first period, so she grabbed her phone from the desk and called Archie. “Come on, pick up-“

“Hello? Zara, where are you?” Archie asked from the other end.

“I’m at home… I couldn’t come to school. I’m a bit out of it today,” Zara said quietly.

“Zara, did something happen? Was it Kurtz?”

Zara choked out a sob, holding the phone away from her face so that Archie wouldn’t hear. Clearing her throat, she replied, “Yes, it was Kurtz. I don’t think I’m changing him by letting him stay with me. I know that wasn’t the plan in the first place; it was just a deal, but I thought if I made him  _better_ , he’d be able to join the pack and give you some power against Hiram. But… it’s all gone to shit, Arch.”

Archie was silent on the other end, and then, the bell rang in the background. “Listen, Zara. We’re gonna talk later, okay? Just remember, you didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t blame yourself.” The call cut off, and Zara set her phone back down on the desk after she sent a quick text to her mom that she wasn’t feeling well and to call the school, to which her mother responded with a simple ‘okay.’

She laid back down on her sleeping bag and stared up at the ceiling. Moping around wasn’t doing any good- no, she needed to do something with the time she had today. Even if Archie said it was okay, she knew it wasn’t. She had to redeem herself in his eyes. Getting up quickly with a new found motivation, she slipped out of her room with a plan. The plan: solve the case.

* * *

“Has anyone seen Zara today?” Jughead asked, setting his lunch tray down before sitting down at a table with the rest of the pack.

Cheryl, who was staring at her reflection through her makeup compact, looked up at Jughead with a tight smile on her face. “Does it look like I keep tabs on the sad human nerd of the pack?” she asked, and Toni hit her arm lightly at the jab. Archie inhaled deeply when he heard the word  _sad._

Jughead rolled his eyes and then saw Archie’s worried face across from him. “What is it, Archie?”

Archie, who was caught off guard, looked at Jughead with wide eyes. But, he cleared his throat and said, “I didn’t want to tell you guys but… Zara’s been on her own ‘private mission’ if you want to look at it that way. She would get information from a vital source if she did a favor for this ‘informer.’ But, the informer wasn’t what she thought, so she’s having a bit of a mental crisis and needed a break.”

Jughead hated the ambiguous response, but took it nonetheless because he respected his alpha. The others looked ready to question Archie as well, but held it in. And, it wasn’t like Archie didn’t want to tell his pack, but he respected Zara’s decision to keep it discrete. Eventually, everyone went back to the regular lunchtime banter, but Zara was still on their minds.

Meanwhile, the sad human nerd in question was walking through the woods with a manila folder with the word confidential written in red in her hand. The first sacrifice, the history teacher, happened in a clearing in the woods, the very clearing Zara was standing in. Well, the police report didn’t say the murder happened here but rather the body was found here.  _His body could’ve been placed in the clearing after he was murdered_ , Zara thought.

“The body was found on the ground, faced down, blood oozing out of it from the open chest cavity. But, why? Why would the killer put the body faced down? Usually, killers like relishing in their crimes and try to show it off to the police as much as possible, but this one was different. This killer felt… guilty? However, sacrifices are meant to be glorious; the society that partakes in them owns the fact that it is part of their culture,” she said to herself.

Just then, the loud crunch of leaves to her left side made Zara jump and yell out, “Hello?!” No response. Zara breathed loudly out of anxiety. “Come on, Zara. Be brave,” she muttered as she steadied her breath. Rounding her shoulders back, she went towards the source of the noise.

Over at Riverdale High, Cheryl was feeling uneasy. “Guys, something’s wrong. I’m getting the stupid supernatural ‘tingly’ feeling.”

Before the others could question her, a certain black clothed omega approached the table and said, “If the banshee feels uneasy, it doesn’t bode well.” The others looked at him inquisitively, while Archie glared at him. “There’s going to be another dead body. Did you sense them before?”

Cheryl nodded and said, “But, I knew nothing about them. Like when it was going to happen. I never sensed anything; I just screamed after their death. This feels different. Like-“

“A death is about to happen,” Jughead said solemnly. Betty stared at him wide-eyed and got up quickly from the table. “Betty, we don’t know anything. What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know, Juggie. But, we can’t just sit here when a person is about to die! Cheryl, you need to come with me so we can track them. I know your senses are going to be heightened the closer we get to the source. Come on,” Betty said, motioning Cheryl to get up. The banshee complied, and the two ran out of the cafeteria. Toni ran out soon after them.

After looking at each other for awhile, the pack followed the three girls with Kurtz in tow.

* * *

“Anything, Cheryl?” Jughead asked after getting out of Betty’s car. Then, Kurtz’s car came to park next to them near the woods. And soon after came Reggie with Moose.

The two cousins with Toni, already standing outside, were looking around the edge of the woods. “I know it’s something in here, but I have no direction,” Cheryl said with hint of worry in her voice. Then, she decided that staying out of the woods wouldn’t work and started walking forward.

Toni yelled out at her, but the banshee kept walking. The others followed her, but with tentative steps. Sure, they had supernatural powers, but it didn’t mean there were no risks. “I need to tell Daddy about this,” Veronica said, pulling out her phone. Archie put his hand on her wrist and shook his head.

“The last thing we need is hunters making the murderer go crazy and sacrificing the victim quicker. We have to be stealthy about this,” Archie said. Veronica wanted to fight his response, but a part of her knew that Archie was right. 

The forest parted into a clearing, the same clearing Zara had come across. Except now, there was no one in sight. Just a manila folder on the ground. “It’s something here,” Cheryl whispered. She started circling the clearing, the others looking at her. Before she could speak, a loud scream was heard in the distance. Archie and the rest of the wolves took off running towards the noise. “It’s Zara,” Kurtz said, running next to Archie. And then, the omega ran ahead of him.

What he saw made his blood boil. Zara was tied to a tree with a thin piece of wire dangerously tight against her neck. A hooded figure was pulling that wire tighter against her neck. Claws sprang out of Kurtz’s hands, and his face began transforming.

He grabbed the hooded figure by the throat in a flash, but the man was strong.  _Supernaturally_ strong. Moving Kurtz’s hand off his throat, he kicked the wolf in the shin and then punched him across the face. But then, Archie grabbed the man by the arms and held him steady, the power of an alpha being unmatched. Reggie ran up to Zara and cut the wire with his claw. The girl began coughing, and Reggie went around the tree to untie her. When she began to fall forward, Kurtz ran to catch her.

But, Jughead came and took her out of his arms quickly. Kurtz, looking at them for a minute, turned his attention now to the sacrificer. Not changing back to his human form, he marched forward and grabbed the cloak hood off the person’s head. What he saw was a stranger,  _not_  Hiram Lodge. He tilted his head, wondering who he could be.

“I don’t know him,” Kurtz said to Archie, and Archie responded, “Me neither.”

Jughead, still holding on to Zara, asked, “Why were you trying to sacrifice Zara? She doesn’t fit your pattern.”

The man chuckled darkly. “ _My_  pattern? Oh no, I work for the Dark Lord. This girl was snooping around too much, and the Lord told me to get rid of her. She’s just a girl who knows too much.”

Then, Archie asked, “What are you? To be able to overpower a werewolf?”

“The Dark Lord grants us  _powers_. If I had killed the bitch, he would’ve given me more.”

Kurtz’s eyes glowed a brighter blue. Gritting his teeth and with his claws still out, he slashed the man’s neck before anyone could stop him. Archie, now back to his human form, stared at the body with wide eyes. Realizing his hands were on a dead body, he let it go quickly. “Dude, what the hell? We could’ve gotten more information from him!” Archie exclaimed as he went to punch Kurtz, but Reggie and Moose held him back.

With a dead expression in his eyes, Kurtz said, “He was pissing me off.”


	8. Hiding Things

Three cars, closely following each other, were speeding to the hospital. The first car had the hospital’s newest admission,  _the girl who knows too much_. After parking near the ER, the entire pack ran towards the automatic double doors, Jughead hugging Zara closely to his body. Her eyes were glazed over, and the pack knew that her injuries didn’t just stop at her throat being nearly lacerated. The nurse at the front desk quickly grabbed the virtually immobile girl and called out for the doctor. After she was taken away, the group of teens sat solemnly in the waiting room. Numerous phones were buzzing, concerned parents wondering why their kids skipped school and why they were gone for several hours.   
  
“I should’ve gotten there sooner,” Cheryl whispered. “My powers failed me.” Tears were cascading down her face, and Toni slowly slipped her hand into her girlfriend’s to give comfort.  
  
“It wasn’t your fault, Cheryl,” Jughead said equally as quiet. He then looked at Archie, who had a rather peculiar expression on his face which Jughead determined as a look of guilt. “Archie? Is there something you want to say?”  
  
Archie avoided Jughead’s eyes and exhaled deeply. “I should’ve known she was going to do something like this… something reckless.”  
  
Betty furrowed her brows and asked, “How could you have known, Arch?”  
  
“Because she told me what was going on.” At the statement, Kurtz got out of his chair and left the waiting room. Jughead raised an eyebrow at this and asked, “What’s his problem?” to which Archie responded, “He’s why Zara’s been a bit… distraught.” Jughead quickly got out of his chair to follow Kurtz, but Archie stopped him. “It’s not gonna help, Jug. Remember when I was talking about the informer Zara was talking to.” The pack nodded slowly. “Well, the informer is Kurtz. And, the favor she offered was… letting him stay at her house.” The entire pack exclaimed in anger, and the hospital staff had to come in and shush them.  
  
“Now, I’m definitely going to talk to the psycho alpha,” Jughead said with unadulterated anger on his face. And, this time, Archie didn’t stop him. Jughead exited the hospital and saw the omega in the parking lot, kicking rocks around. “Hey!” Kurtz looked up at Jughead with a somber face. “You killed our only route to the ‘Dark Lord,’ and now, I hear from Archie that you’re the one making Zara an anxious mess. What do you have to say to defend yourself?”

“Didn’t think you cared about Zara seeing that your girlfriend keeps you preoccupied ninety-nine percent of the time,” Kurtz said with a smirk. Jughead clenched his fists and tried to control his anger. He seriously didn’t need to “wolf-out” in front of a hospital.  
  
“Listen, I’m just trying to understand.”

Kurtz nodded and proceeded to say, “I… may have scared Zara last night… badly. She was butting into my business-“  
  
“Only because she wants to help.”  
  
“Well, I don’t need her help!”  
  
“But, clearly you do! Without her, you wouldn’t have a home!”  
  
Kurtz exhaled deeply, a chilly cloud appearing in front of his face. Jughead, knowing that he wouldn’t get any more information out of him, went back inside the hospital. He keenly noticed that Kurtz followed him inside, and the rest of the pack glared at the omega. But, the group immediately got up when the doctor came to the waiting room with a smile on his face. “Your friend is going to be alright. Most of the trauma was shock, and she will have to work on that on her own with a therapist. As her friends, I implore you to help her with this. Because Ms. Fatehi has said that she was nearly killed, I’ve called the sheriff, and he will want all of your statements. You may go see her, but do not jostle her too much,” the doctor said.  
  
Archie went ahead of everyone to enter the room where he saw Zara sitting up with a food tray in front of her. An angry red line marred her neck, but she didn’t seem physically harmed elsewhere. However, Archie could feel pain from her ribs and back. Going up to her slowly without greeting, he gripped her wrist. Slowly, black tendrils went up his arms as pain started coursing through him. “Archie,” Zara began. “You really don’t have to take away my pain.”  
  
With a smile, Archie said, “It’s the least I can do.” He let go of her arm and held her hand. Veronica looked at them with jealousy, but said nothing.   
  
Zara was smiling at all of her friends, but when she looked at Kurtz, she dropped her smile. “You know the police are going to question you,” she said.   
  
“Claw marks don’t have fingerprints,” Kurtz said as he took a sip of the free coffee from the front desk. Archie clenched his jaw but tried to not grip Zara’s hand too tightly. Zara saw this and squeezed gently. 

“Regardless, we need to get our stories straight. I didn’t and won’t lie from my part except for what I saw in the end. I went into the woods, planning on finding more evidence because I’m a  _meddlesome_  kid, and I was nearly killed by a psychopath with a cloak covering his face.” Zara looked at the banshee who was looking nervous. “Cheryl, what are you going to say? How did you find me?”  
  
Before Cheryl spoke, Archie interjected, “I’ll say that I thought you would be doing something like this because you were feeling anxious, and I told our friends that we should help you.”   
  
Cheryl nodded and said, “We knew you would go to the woods because it is public knowledge that all of the killings happened in some part of the woods. After we parked our cars, we walked straight into a clearing and then heard you screaming.”  
  
Jughead then said, “We ran towards the scream and saw you getting choked by the cloaked man.” 

Reggie added, “We fought off the guy and managed to drag you out of the woods, and we don’t know anything about his death.” 

Jughead was starting to get nervous now. “Everyone, don’t mention his death. When my dad says it, we all act shocked. Zara, you should shed some tears out of fear, okay? Seriously, guys. My dad can’t know about werewolves existing, ok?”   
  
The teens waited in the room for half an hour until the sheriff knocked on the door and came in. He was surprised to see so many people in one hospital room. But, before he could say anything, Zara’s mother came in through the door, and Archie let go of Zara’s hand so her mother could hug her. FP cleared his throat and began his interrogation.  
  
“So, let me get this straight: all of you went looking for her in the woods? How did you know she was going to be there, and why was it so vital you look for her instead of staying in school?” he asked, looking at Jughead in the end.  
  
Cheryl replied, “We knew that Zara wasn’t really sick and that she wanted to solve the case. She’s been a bit anxious about the murders, and she wanted to help out.” Zara nodded when the sheriff looked at her. The deputy glared at her daughter, but stayed silent.  
  
Archie added, “I was the one who told everyone she might go to the woods because that’s where all the killings happened, and I asked everyone to come along so that we could help her. We felt duty-bound to Riverdale and our friend.” Zara smirked thinking,  _Classic hero-complex Archie_.  
  
FP, after jotting down some notes, asked, “How did you all find her?”  
  
Jughead replied, “When we parked outside of the woods, we headed straight in because we thought she wouldn’t be very deep in the woods. We found her after we heard her scream.”  
  
Betty added, “We knew something was wrong when we saw the confidential folder, deputy, that must belong to you. It was on the ground in the clearing of the woods.” The deputy again glared at her daughter.  
  
Zara then said, “That’s where I originally was because I knew the first murder happened in the clearing, but I head a noise and walked towards it only to be punched in the ribs and back by a cloaked figure.”  
  
“When we went towards the source of her scream, we saw her tied up against a tree with a wire enclosed around her neck, which was getting tightened by that cloaked man,” Reggie said.  
  
FP asked, “So, what did you do to save her?”   
  
Here comes the lies, Zara thought. “Kurtz tackled the cloaked figure, and Archie fought him back as well until Reggie untied me and dragged me away.”  
  
FP looked at the dark clothed boy and raised a brow. He remembered the boy getting caught up in drugs before he became sheriff. 

Even though no one asked him what lie he was going to come up with, Kurtz said, “I knocked him out and ran out of the woods with the rest.”  
  
“You’re positive you didn’t do anything more than that, young man?” FP asked, eyeing Kurtz in suspicion.   
  
“I don’t know what you’re implying, but yes, I’m sure I didn’t do anything else.”  
  
“Well, the cloaked man was found dead next to the wire and rope I’m assuming he used against Zara.” At that, tears sprang out of Zara’s eyes as was planned. “He was found with three gashes across his neck. Are you positive you kids don’t know anything about this?” All of them looked at him with their best expressions of shock. And then, they responded with “Positive.”


	9. The Veronica Problem

Zara wanted to go home. But, her mother  _insisted_  that she stay for her own safety. In other words, her mother was working late tonight even though her own daughter almost died. 

Most of her friends had to leave upon their parents’ orders, Betty being the last. As she started to exit the room, Zara grabbed her wrist and look at her with concerned eyes. “Betty, are you going to be okay?”

Betty took a deep breath, trying to prevent tears. And then, she said, “I hated him so much, Z, but I can’t help it. He was my dad before he became a menace to my mom and Polly. The only reason my mom’s dealing with this is because I have no guardian at home anymore. She’s left the Farm long enough to convince Social Services, but after that, I’m all alone.” She took a deep breath. “I’m scared.”  
  
Zara looked at her for a moment and said, “Being scared isn’t a weakness. Not seeking help from your friends is. We’re all here for you. We’re a pack, a family.”  
  
Betty chuckled and said, “You’re beginning to sound like Archie.” The two girls laughed before Betty’s mom whisked her away from the room. As soon as she left, Zara’s broody roommate entered through the door. “Why haven’t you left?” Zara asked, looking away from him to check the time. “Isn’t it time for your  _game_?”  
  
“I’m not going tonight,” Kurtz responded, putting down his third coffee cup on her forgotten food tray. “We need to talk.”  
  
“Oh  _joy_. What do you wanna talk about, wolfy? Wanna chat about Gryphons and Gargoyles? Or maybe about the fact that you killed our only source of information about the sacrifices? What’s it gonna be,  _Kurtz_?” Zara asked, clenching her fists.  
  
“How about the fact that you were foolish enough to go back to a crime scene? Of a killer who managed to kill a  _werewolf_. Just what exactly were you hoping to accomplish? You’re a weak human.”  
  
“And you’re a weak werewolf.” Zara crossed her arms across her chest and scrunched her eyebrows in frustration. Glaring at him for a while, Zara eased up a bit and said, “This conversation is going nowhere. We need to set some ground rules, you and me. We’re constantly fighting, and it needs to end.”  
  
“Agreed. Number 1: you’re not investigating this case without me from now on.”  
  
“Now, just hang on a moment-“  
  
“Not even with the others. They don’t know what’s going on.”  
  
“And you do?” Kurtz stayed silent. “Beautiful. How about this for number 2? No more secrets.”  
  
“I can’t promise that.”  
  
“Why not? What is so important that you’re hiding from me?” Zara asked, her voice raising an octave.  
  
“Something that I don’t want reaching the ears of Hiram Lodge,” Kurtz replied quietly.

Zara furrowed her brows and asked, “Why would I feed information to Hiram?”  
  
“You tell Archie. Archie tells Veronica. And, I don’t trust that bitch.”  
  
“Veronica hasn’t said anything to her father!” Zara exclaimed, exasperated at constantly defending Veronica from the rest of the pack and now from Kurtz.   
  
“And, you can vouch for that?” Kurtz asked, raising a brow.  
  
“Well…” Zara paused. “Come to think of it, there are times when… the hunters just managed to stumble upon the pack. But, that could just be coincidence…”  _Not really_ , she thought, recalling an event that happened just a few months ago. Winter vacation when Archie and Jughead went skiing…  _How did the hunters know Archie would be in the same area Cassidy Bullock got murdered?_  “There was a guy, a wannabe werewolf hunter named Cassidy Bullock. He tried to go after Archie and Jughead while they were on a skiing vacation. Archie fought him off quite easily and left the ski lodge quickly after that, but the hunters ambushed them, pinning them for the guy’s murder. The only way they could’ve known that Archie had an altercation with this man is if…”  
  
“Veronica told Hiram,” Kurtz finished. Zara looked at him in surprise. “It’s not that shocking. You people really thought a hunter’s daughter wasn’t going to be loyal to her father,” he said with a chuckle.  
  
“Veronica hates her dad. She wants to be with Archie-“  
  
“Who wants to be with you,” Kurtz deadpanned.  
  
“Excuse me?!”   
  
“Oh please. Have you not noticed how much he respects you, more so than his own girlfriend. He listens to you first. He consults you first. And, you should’ve felt his emotions when we found you. The amount of love he has for you-”  
  
“Will never be reciprocated. I don’t love Archie,” Zara said pointedly.  
  
“Try telling that to a jealous, teenage girl.”   
  
Zara sat back against her pillows, looking away from Kurtz and instead opting to gaze at the night sky through the window. She tried digesting the information, but it was too confusing. However, she decided to concede. “Fine… I won’t tell Archie anything about you. Now, will you come clean?”  
  
“… Very well. What do you want to know?”  
  
“Why did your pack get involved with Gryphons and Gargoyles?”  
  
Kurtz was silent, collecting his thoughts. Then, he replied, “You know what an emissary is, don’t you?”  
  
“Of course. They’re druids who offer counsel to alphas. Practically every seasoned pack has one.”   
  
Kurtz nodded. “My emissary was a seer of sorts. He used the G&G board as a vessel for his prophecies. He had the craft down so perfectly that we knew where hunters would be, other supernatural creatures, even the police. Then, the hunters were suspicious. To them, this made us too powerful.” Kurtz laughed with a sinister look in his eyes. “They figured it had to be something magical, and the one thing my emissary couldn’t predict was them abducting him. Hiram and his goons tortured him until he gave the location of where we would be in the woods. We’re not a flawless pack; we’ve committed crimes. Bodies have piled up.”  
  
“Like Dilton Doiley…” Kurtz nodded. “That must have been when your pack got massacred,” Zara said quietly, trying to process the story.  
  
“After he dealt with everyone in the pack aside from me and one of my betas, he killed my emissary.”  
  
“So, why do you keep the board if he’s dead?”   
  
“I got pissed at you last night for a reason. You were right; I am trying to rebuild my pack. But, this time I’m starting with an emissary. I recruit people from school to play the game and see if they can predict anything.”  
  
“But, no one is doing it as well as your emissary did.” Kurtz nodded. “What about the drug addiction?”  
  
“My emissary needed a hallucinogen to accurately make predictions, so I cooked fizzle rocks for him. But, I can’t give them to potential emissaries unless I test them first in front of them.”  
  
“And, the drug’s so addictive that now, you can’t stop.” Zara sighed. “Why are you doing this to yourself? You know you can’t be alpha again, right?”  
  
“Wrong. I can if my bite takes on another human. If it doesn’t, the human dies.”  
  
“So, you’re willing to kill someone to test your theory?” Zara asked fearfully.  
  
Kurtz gave her a wide grin and replied, “Anything for power.”

* * *

“I’m surprised you’re back at school,” Veronica said to Zara as they both took their seats AP biology. “Thought you would take some time recuperating at home.”  
  
Zara looked at Veronica through her peripheral vision and replied, “I can’t miss too much class. Finals are coming up.”  _Stop talking to me, stop talking to me, stop talking to me…_  
  
Luckily, their teacher came in then to begin the class. When the bell rang, Zara rushed out of class before Veronica could talk to her and went to the rest of her classes without a hitch. As soon as the lunch bell rang, she ran to Kurtz’s locker, and the boy was putting away his backpack when he saw her almost trip while running towards him. He rolled his eyes and asked, “What is it?”   
  
“I’m avoiding Veronica,” Zara replied which elicited a dark laugh from Kurtz. She glared at him, and the two made their way to the cafeteria. Betty saw Zara enter and waved her over to the table, but Veronica was already sitting there with Archie snug against her. Zara said quietly to Kurtz, “The weather’s nice outside. Let’s sit outside today.” Kurtz said nothing but followed her out once the two got their trays.   
  
When they sat down, Kurtz said sternly, “They’re your pack. You can’t separate yourself from them.”  
  
“I’m not separating myself!” Zara exclaimed. “I’m just trying not to get on Veronica’s bad side. The more I stay away from her and Archie, the better. I’ll just see them at pack meetings and that’s that.”  
  
“I’ve got a better idea; get a boyfriend. Make yourself less threatening,” Kurtz suggested as he stuffed some mac and cheese into his mouth. Zara blushed at the suggestion to which Kurtz ordered, “Stop getting flustered. It’s just a suggestion. But, it would stop the ginger alpha from pining after you and his manic girlfriend from wanting to skewer you.” Zara didn’t say anything in response but was contemplating the idea. Problem was, she spent all her time running around after monsters with  _other_  monsters that she had no interactions with boys.  _At all_. She scrunched her nose, and Kurtz laughed quietly. “What’s the problem?”  
  
“I don’t know any boys to actually ask them out,” Zara gritted out. She then went to take a sip of her water.  
  
“How about you go out with me?” Zara spat out her water all over her tray. “You’re such a loser,” Kurtz said, rolling his eyes.  
  
“Well, excuse me if I’m shocked at the most appalling idea I’ve ever heard. I don’t want anything to do with you aside from giving you room and board at my house.” She started cleaning up her lap and sighed at her soggy sandwich.  
  
“It doesn’t have to be real. Just a façade so that the pack’s convinced.”  
  
Zara rolled her eyes and said, “The pack will sense me lying, smart one.”  
  
“Lying can be sensed because someone’s pulse is accelerated, and their voice is shaky. This can all be attributed to first relationship jitters.” Kurtz’s response actually sounded  _smart_ , smart enough to convince Zara that it could work, but…  
  
“What if they block me out because I’m going out with you? News flash, they don’t like you.”  
  
“They’re not going to drop you just because you’re going out with me. They have faith in you, especially Archie.”  
  
“Yeah, don’t remind me. He’s the reason we’re even thinking about this stupid plan. Also, how do you know they’re not listening in on us right now?”  
  
“The cafeteria is too loud for their senses to parse through it to reach us. So, are you down?”   
  
Pausing for a bit, Zara said, “Fine. Let’s date.”


	10. His Mate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What is it?” Zara asked, panting from running.
> 
> Kurtz took off his oversized jacket and gave it to her. “Wear it. The wolves will smell me on you, and Veronica will recognize the jacket.”
> 
> Zara took the jacket tentatively and put it on. If it was oversized on him, it was massive on her. Kind of made her look like a giant stuffed teddy bear.

Zara slowly blinked her eyes open, the sun hitting her face directly. Sighing softly, she turned over to her side and closed her eyes again, trying to grab just a few more minutes of sleep. Suddenly, she snapped her eyes wide open and scrambled to grab her phone.  _8:20 am_. “Shit!” She clumsily got up from the sleeping bag and saw Kurtz sleeping soundly. How’d they both managed to sleep past their alarms was beyond her, but she went over to the bed and shook him awake. He glared at her but she screamed the time, and he rapidly got out of bed and took off his shirt. Zara looked away, blushing furiously and ran to the bathroom to get dressed. Then, the two quietly went down the stairs and ran out the front door to Kurtz’s car.

Going fifteen over the speed limit allowed them to arrive only ten minutes late to first period. As they were rushing to the front doors, Kurtz stopped Zara at the steps. “What is it?” Zara asked, panting from running.

Kurtz took off his oversized jacket and gave it to her. “Wear it. The wolves will smell me on you, and Veronica will recognize the jacket.”

Zara took the jacket tentatively and put it on. If it was oversized on him, it was  _massive_  on her. Kind of made her look like a giant stuffed teddy bear. Bidding Kurtz goodbye, she ran to her first period and stopped at the door. The teacher glared at her, and Veronica scanned her body with squinted eyes. “You may take your seat, Ms. Fatehi.” Zara rushed over to her desk and sat down quickly. “Try not to make this a habit.” Then, he went back to drawing a plant cell.

Putting her fountain pen down, Veronica looked over at Zara again, which Zara saw through her peripheral vision. Veronica said nothing, which made Zara nervous. Once the morning classes were over, Zara walked over to Kurtz’s locker. “Veronica saw the jacket. She didn’t say anything, but I’m nervous. How do I lie effectively to a pack of wolves?” she whispered. She bit her lip in worry.

Kurtz shut his locker and replied, “Don’t stutter when you lie. They’ll sense it regardless, of course, but as I said before, first relationship jitters. But, if you’re nervous on top of the lie, then our cover is blown.”

“I understand, I guess,” Zara said, nodding her head. “…Ready to see if it works?” In response, Kurtz grabbed her hand and dragged her to the cafeteria. Zara walked with widened eyes but let him drag her. When they came to the cafeteria entrance, Zara wanted to leave. Everyone at her table was looking at the pair. Most likely, Veronica told them about the jacket. But, the plan needed to work. So, Zara strode in with her head held high and her hand still in Kurtz’s. “Hi guys. You mind if Kurtz joins us?” she asked with a small smile.

When Betty said no, Archie simultaneously said yes. The two looked at each other for a minute, and Betty looked back at Zara and smiled. “Of course, he can sit.” Zara had no appetite and neither did Kurtz, so they looked around the table awkwardly as everyone ate.

Veronica set her fork down slowly and looked up at Zara and Kurtz. “So, what’s the deal with you two?” she asked with a smirk. “One minute, you’re glaring at each other in the hospital and now, holding hands and Zara, are you wearing his jacket?” Zara looked down at the black jacket and blushed, which made Veronica smirk.

“Um, well…” Zara started.

“We’re dating,” Kurtz stated bluntly. Zara shut her mouth and nodded. “Got a problem, Lodge?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No! No problem at all. Just very surprising,” Veronica replied. Archie, on the other hand, clenched his hand around his fork, glaring at Kurtz. “Oh Archiekins, what’s wrong?” Zara flinched at the awful nickname and looked over at Archie to see that he hadn’t changed his stance.  _Maybe, Kurtz was right…_

“Drop it, Ronnie,” Archie replied, and Veronica furrowed her brows. Betty and Jughead were silent during the altercation, looking at each other awkwardly. Meanwhile, Kurtz was smirking to himself, and Zara glared at him for doing so. The lunch plan only angered the alpha more, so Zara didn’t see how this fake relationship thing would work in her favor. She then cleared her throat and said, “Can we just forget this and talk about important things? Like the fact that I almost got mauled by a worshiper of some evil overlord. Do we know anything about a ‘ _dark lord_?’”

“We know that he would grant powers to his followers committing the sacrifices, “ Jughead replied. “But, I don’t know how that would work. We’ve never had magic in Riverdale.”

“No, but Greendale does,” Kurtz added. “A few of my betas lived there. They had families of witches and warlocks. I can find out information.”

Zara looked over at him and then leaned in quickly to whisper, “You never told me about this.”

Kurtz ignored her and said, “I’ll contact the families tonight.”

Jughead nodded and said, “That sounds like a good plan. Archie?”

Archie was still glaring but less stiff. “Sounds okay to me,” he gritted out. “Be sure to tell us everything and not lie to us,” he added, looking over at Zara. In response, the girl sank in her seat. She had a hurt expression on her face which didn’t go amiss by Kurtz, who rapidly got up from the table.

Zara looked up at him in surprised as he said, “Listen, I understand that Zara is important to you, but you should let her live her life and date who she wants to. Stop being a control freak. Alphas are leaders, not dictators. Understand the difference.” Kurtz then strolled off, the people at the table gaping at him as he walked off. In order to avoid any unwanted conversations, Zara followed him out. He stood at the end of the hallway next to the trophy case. She ran to him, and he turned to face her.

“What was all that about?” Zara asked.

Kurtz looked at her with hooded eyes. “I have to protect my girlfriend, don’t I? Even from her friends.”

“But-“

“Shh, they’re listening,” he whispered. He grabbed her hand, and the two went outside. “I have to make it believable,” he said, taking a seat at a bench.

“I don’t think it’s working. The pack looks more divided than ever!” Zara exclaimed, worried by the outcome of lunch.

Kurtz rolled his eyes. “That wasn’t the entire pack. That was your alpha being a possessive asshole. You know, I really wondered why he kept you around. You’re a human with no relationship to anyone. You’re not really the brains of the operation; Jughead can easily fill that position. No, Archie kept you around to be his bitch.”

Zara got up from the table in anger. “Shut the fuck up.”

“You know it’s true. Veronica is a liability to him, being the daughter of a hunter. Archie can’t hope to make her his mate, as one would be called in wolf dynamics. You’re his second choice. Plan B. I know you respect this pack, but do you respect how the alpha treats you?”

“He has done  _nothing_  to me.”

“Not yet, at least. I know a murderous wolf when I see one. He can’t stomach the fact that another boy looked your way, let alone dating one.” Kurtz then got up and circled around the table to be next to Zara. “He wants to possess you. Are you going to let him?” Instead of replying, Zara grabbed her backpack from the ground and walked back into the building.

After school got out, Zara informed Kurtz that she wanted to work with Betty and Jughead on the case today to feel productive. Remembering their agreement in the hospital, Kurtz opted to stay as well, which made Betty and Jughead uncomfortable. Nonetheless, they worked without any problems in the office for the school newspaper. Of course, Zara didn’t want to say it to herself, but Archie was the source of all of the conflict. If he was just content with being with Veronica…

“None of the families want to speak with me,” Kurtz said, cutting Zara out of her thoughts. “They blame me for their sons’ deaths…” Kurtz looked down at his lap, not meeting Zara’s eyes.

“Well, we can find an alternative,” Jughead suggested. “We could always go to Greendale.”

“And ask who, Juggie? The witches don’t like being public about their magic amongst nonmagical people,” Betty said. “Aside from Greendale, do we have any other leads? I compiled a list of potential targets, which is  _extensive_. There’s no way the ‘dark lord’ can make it through this list.”

“But, you forget that he has magic,” Zara said.

Betty frowned and added, “He’s been making regular people commit the sacrifices. Who’s to say he does have magic?”

“Or maybe, he’s building a loyal follower base. Granting them magic if they do one kill for him,” Kurtz suggested. “I’ll head to Greendale over the weekend,” he added, getting up from his chair.

“Whoah wait,” Zara said, stopping him. “What makes you think they’ll talk to you face-to-face when they won’t receive your calls?” Zara got up from her chair and walked over to him. “You can’t do this alone,” Zara said quietly, looking up at him.

Jughead cleared his throat and said, “I’ll go with him, Zara. I want to solve this case as much as you do, and it’ll be fun to see a new type of supernatural.”


	11. Next stop, Greendale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zara stood outside a wrought iron gate, eyes fixated on the statues of headless men placed across the front lawn. She turned back to see Kurtz and Jughead a few feet away from her. “Are we talking to a sane person, Kurtz?” she gritted out. Kurtz smirked and crossed his arms across his chest.

The train ride to Greendale was pleasantly quiet, a needed break from the mayhem in Riverdale. Zara leaned her head back and shut her eyes lightly.  _Why am I here? Jughead and Kurtz could’ve handled this themselves._  No, Zara didn’t trust Kurtz around Jughead. Sure, Zara and Kurtz had an agreement between themselves, but she didn’t want to risk something going wrong between two temperamental werewolves.

She cracked her eyes open a fraction and saw the omega glaring at her. “Kurtz, I’m not gonna apologize for coming here,” Zara said, facing towards him. “You and Jughead negotiating together is a recipe for disaster.” She looked down the walkway to see that Jughead still hadn’t exited the bathroom.

“I’m not gonna start something. If anything, it’ll be Jones,” Kurtz grumbled.

“ _I don’t care_. We don’t need a werewolf fight in the midst of witches,” she whispered angrily. A few minutes later, Jughead exited the bathroom and came back to sit down in front of them. They had gotten one of the four seater sections, Zara sitting on the aisle next to Kurtz and Jughead across from her with an empty window seat to his right.

“Plan of attack anyone?” Jughead asked, leaning back. “We have to be careful around witches. From what I’ve read online, witches have a tendency to hate all other supernatural creatures.”

Zara turned to face Kurtz. “So maybe this is why the families hate you. You turned their kids into werewolves.”

“They wanted the bite,” Kurtz sneered.

Zara squinted her eyes and went back to face Jughead. “If they hate all other supernatural creatures, then we can’t have you two talk to them straight out of the gate.” She sighed. “You two should be lucky I came. I’ll get the conversation rolling and then we can hit them with the ‘who done it.’”

“Sounds like a plan,” Jughead said, but his eyes lingered on the two. He cocked an eyebrow at Zara and added, “You know… you two don’t really act like a couple…”

Zara had the overwhelming urge to look at Kurtz, but that would set Jughead even more off.  _School your emotions, Zara_. “Sorry if we liking keeping ourselves low-key,” she replied, chuckling softly. Jughead furrowed his brows, so she added, “You and Betty have a little too much PDA for my tastes.” She laughed while Jughead glared at her. Once Jughead shut his eyes, she looked over at Kurtz who nodded, signifying that whatever she did was good enough for now.

* * *

 

_“Next stop Greendale. Carefully exit the train when it has stopped. Thank you.”_

Zara shifted in her seat, waking up from her nap. Both Jughead and Kurtz were already awake, looking out the window at the forest surrounding the tracks. “Where are we going first?” she asked softly.

Jughead turned his head away from the window to look at her. “We should probably put our bags down somewhere. There are some cheap motels, none as sketchy as Riverdale’s of course,” Jughead said with a chuckle. Zara cracked a smile. Kurtz looked at the two with a blank stare, but something about how he was feeling causes Jughead to stop laughing.

Kurtz then cleared his throat and added, “We can’t linger too long there. We need to go talk to the families.” Pulling out his phone, he looked over the home addresses.

“Which house should we go to then?” Zara asked, not even remembering to ask who Kurtz knew in the town.

“I should probably go and pay my respects to Riddle’s family,” he mumbled.

“Who’s Riddle?” Jughead asked, leaning forward in his seat.

“The beta who got sacrificed.”

* * *

 

Zara stood outside a wrought iron gate, eyes fixated on the statues of headless men placed across the front lawn. She turned back to see Kurtz and Jughead a few feet away from her. “Are we talking to a sane person, Kurtz?” she gritted out. Kurtz smirked and crossed his arms across his chest.

Rolling her eyes, she pushed open the gate, a few vines snapping in the process, The actual house was far down the driveway and not facing the gate. It became clear that the mansion was placed in a way to fool people into believing that the gate surrounded nothing. As the path began twisting to the left, Zara got increasingly nervous about how to begin an interrogation with a witch. They have magic, she  _doesn’t_. They hate werewolves, she’s part of a  _pack_. “This should go well,” she muttered to herself.

As she approached the house, she began to take in the odd details. The manor’s exterior was of deep gray stone with marble molding around the balconies and windows, of which no light shone through. On the corners of the house were giant statues of…  _bats?_ For a rather odd ancient looking house, the front door was more modern, window panes in the middle of both doors making the entrance. Zara rang the doorbell on the left side of the double doors and waited.

And waited.

She pressed the bell once more and checked her phone to see that ten minutes had already passed since she first pressed the bell. Before she could send a text to Jughead about the situation, the door swung open to reveal a small child with a mop of black hair. He looked at her, stone-faced, then he yelled, “Ma, some stranger’s here!”

He didn’t usher her into the house, but he left the door open so Zara followed the boy into the foyer. A large iron chandelier hung low from the ceiling, cobwebs lining the bulbs. The wallpaper was peeling in this room, which made Zara feel weird. _Why is this so stereotypical?_

She started looking into golden framed mirror on the side of the door and got startled by a woman directly behind her. Turning quickly, she apologized. “I did not hear you coming, ma’am.” She extended her hand out. “My name is Zara Fatehi. I’m from Riverdale.”

“I know,” the woman sneered. “I am a… seer of sorts. Fortune tellers as you  _mortals_  would call it. What is your business here?”

“Why? Can’t predict that?” Zara replied, looking at the witch with a bored expression.

The woman raised a brow and chuckled softly. “I apologize for the harsh greeting. My name is Greer Peterson.” She then looked around the room. “I think I should lift up the glamor, don’t you?”

Zara furrowed her brows in response, but then her eyes widened when Greer waved her hands and the room transformed around them. The peeling wallpaper was replaced with black marble, there were no cobwebs on the chandelier, and the foyer had rich artwork on every alternate wall.

Greer looked over at the young girl and roared in laughter. “Oh this is nothing, darling. Magic is quite wonderful, don’t you think?” Zara nodded slowly. Greer’s smile faded after a moment as she asked, “What is your business here, really?”

Zara cleared her throat. “I am here to ask for some assistance,” she said softly.

Greer ushered her into the living room on the right, a room filled with red couches and a large fireplace. “I am aware of the sacrifices occurring in your town,” she said, sitting down on the couch gracefully. In contrast, Zara plopped onto the couch and was embarrassed afterwards.

“I knew that you would be aware considering…” Zara trailed off, unable to form the words.

“Considering my son was sacrificed, you mean.”

Zara gulped. “Right. My mother’s a deputy, and I’d like to make her job easier by finding more evidence.”

“And because your pack is in danger.”

Zara was shocked, but considering Greer could see into the future, it would be a logical conclusion as to how she knew. “Yes, Ma’am. I know the magical community does not look fondly upon werewolves.”

“You would be correct in that assumption.”

Zara crossed her legs. “I know your son’s… death has hit you hard. I cannot begin to imagine how you feel, but if there’s any way you can prevent more deaths.”

“My son’s death means absolutely nothing to me. I sent him to the sisters for a reason.”

Zara squinted her eyes at Greer, disgusted by this woman. “You know the alpha who made your son into a werewolf is standing right outside your gate? He cared for your son,” she gritted out. “Clearly more than you.” With that, the front door slammed open. Kurtz and Jughead both came into the house, walking into the living room. Greer glared at the two, scrunching her nose as if she smelled something bad. “If you don’t talk, we will make you,” Zara threatened.

Greer smirked and stood up from the couch, looking straight into Kurtz’s eyes. “Two werewolves, especially non-alphas, are no match for a witch.”

Kurtz and Jughead looked at each other, expressionless. Zara was still glaring at the witch. “If you don’t help us, more people will start pointing fingers at the witches. One of the followers of this murderer believes he’s sacrificing for the dark lord. I am sure you know who the dark lord is.”

Greer gaped and looked away from the trio. “That isn’t right… we do not participate in sacrifice of mortals or other creatures. We haven’t done so in  _centuries_.” She paused and turned to face them again. “Whoever this person, is no friend of Greendale witches. They must be a Riverdale resident, there’s no doubt about that.”

Zara stood from the couch and approached Greer slowly. “You mean to tell me that this psychopath is living amongst us.” In order for Greer to explain more, Zara went into more detail about the evidence already procured.

Greer looked puzzled as Zara finished the story of her near sacrifice. “If the man wanting to kill you has been promised powers, this witch has the power to harness nature’s energy and funnel it through a mortal. I do not believe that the almighty Satan would allow such perverse actions. He believes that magic must stay within those who are worthy to wield it.”

“Sounds supremacist,” Jughead mumbled. Speaking louder, he questioned Greer of how to find this person. “We only know two things about him. Nothing extremely identifiable.”

“That I cannot help you with, I’m sorry to say.”

The three bid the woman goodbye and drove back to the motel. Zara sat at the edge of the bed nearest the window, facing the other bed. “We’ve got more information than before, but it still isn’t enough to make a good deduction,” Zara said dejectedly.

Jughead, who was pushing his bag into the closet, nodded. “There must be more people we can talk to. Kurtz?”

Kurtz sat down next to Zara and clasped his hands together on his lap. “There are more, but I feel like it will be a wasted trip. If only Greer said more about who’s in charge of the magical community…”

“In charge?” Zara inquired.

“There always has to be a head person,” Jughead replied, sitting across from the two. “If we can meet with another family…” he trailed off looking at Kurtz.

Kurtz ignored him and went to lie down on the bed. “It’s late. We’ll resume tomorrow morning.” He sat up to strip off his jacket and pulled the covers over him. Zara looked back at him and gulped. It would look suspicious to Jughead if she opted to sleep on the floor, so she had to lay next to Kurtz.

“I’m going to get ready for bed,” she said, clearing her throat. Jughead nodded and took off his beanie, preparing for sleep himself. When Zara got out of the restroom, her heart started pounding. Luckily Jughead was snoring softly, so he wouldn’t pick up on the noise. She walked slowly to her bed and sat down. Slowly blinking once, she sighed and then, went under the covers. She tried creating as much distance from between her and Kurtz as possible, but she still felt his body heat.

“Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep…” Zara whispered repeatedly. Ultimately, sleep overtook her, and she relaxed. The next morning, the light shone through the curtains. Cracking her eyes open a fraction, Zara was blinded momentarily by the sliver of light hitting her eyes directly. She looked down, away from the curtains, to see a blurry face only a few centimeters away from her face. The more she blinked her eyes, the more the face got clearer. It was Kurtz. She widened her eyes and attempted to move away, but she found herself trapped by a hand wrapped around her torso.

Trying to remove his hand, Zara was stopped by a small voice saying, “Relax.” Kurtz was barely awake. “Jughead will be suspicious.” Zara looked behind her and saw that Jughead was still sleeping. “He’ll wake up soon,” Kurtz whispered. Zara’s lingering gaze didn’t go amiss by the wolf, and he smirked slightly.

After awhile, when the two got hungry, and Jughead awoke, they ventured out to eat and investigate some more. Zara took out her phone in the car and looked up where they could eat. “So, there’s a place called Dr. Cerberus’s,” she suggested. “You have to take a right here, Jug.”

The three entered the small shop and stopped by the door to take in the appearance. It looked as if it was decorated for Halloween. But, considering Halloween happened five months ago, the get-up seemed a bit peculiar to the three. Jughead sent a puzzled expression Zara’s way to which she responded, “They have four and a half stars on Yelp.”

After a few minutes, they ordered their food and sat down at a booth next to a group of chattering friends. “Kurtz, what family can we see next?” Jughead asked before taking a bit of his burger.

Kurtz leaned back against the faux red leather and shrugged. “There are two other families we could talk to, but after the hostility from Greer… And, she didn’t even care about her son’s death. I can’t guarantee the other families won’t be pissed.” There was rage emanating from the omega, and Zara didn’t need wolf senses to know that.

As she stuffed her mouth with curly fries, Zara’s ears picked up tidbits of the conversation from the booth next to theirs. “…The school’s gotten weirder ever since we found the prophecy. People are treating me as if some sort of dark savior from the dark lord. I really don’t get it.” Zara’s head swiveled to their direction at the mention of the dark lord. The two wolves also picked up on it if them not stuffing their faces anymore was an indication.

Before anyone could say anything, Zara got up from her seat and walked over to the table. She saw a girl with short, platinum blonde hair, styled with a black headband. The girl in question looked up at Zara, raising a groomed brow. “May I help you?” she asked with a grin.

“You were talking about the dark lord,” Zara started.

The girl widened her eyes but masked it immediately with a bigger grin. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Cut the bullshit. I need you to talk to me, now.”

The girl looked at her friends and ushered them away. Zara slipped into the now empty side of the booth, staring at the girl across from her. The girl cleared her throat and introduced herself, “My name is Sabrina Spellman. I am a witch.”

“I assumed,” Zara drawled. “My name is Zara Fatehi. I’m from Riverdale. I’m sure you’ve heard of what’s going on there.”

“A bit, yes. Why do you think I can help you?”

“The man going around ‘sacrificing’ people serves what his followers call the dark lord. Wanna explain that to me?”

Sabrina furrowed her brows. “I’m not sure I understand. Are you sure the sacrifices are for the dark lord?”

“No, actually. The last witch I interrogated said that the man was perverse, trying to give mortals magic under the guise of the dark lord’s wishes.”

“Perverse is one way to say it. Let’s just say my father is in a way,  _racist_  against mortals. He wouldn’t want them to have magic.”

“Hold on; your father is the dark lord? Satan?”

Sabrina sighed and confirmed, “Yes, unfortunately. I’m in a sort of ‘cold war’ with him.”

“So that means you’re the head witch?”

Sabrina chuckled and shrugged. “I guess so.”

“How do we take down this man, then? He clearly has magic to funnel it into his followers. The batty seer said he couldn’t possibly be from Greendale, but that doesn’t narrow down our suspect list.”

“You mean you went to see Greer the Seer? Yikes, she’s a handful. But, if she confirmed the man to be in Riverdale, there’s not much I can add on for details, I’m afraid to say. I pretty much have tabs on all magical folk in Greendale, but other towns are new territory.” Zara nodded dejectedly. “However, I might be able to do additional research for you.”


	12. Lycan the Warlock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Zara!” The pair turned around in the direction of the voice. Veronica walked towards them, heels clicking against the linoleum. “How was your trip to Greendale?” she asked with a grin.
> 
> “It was perfectly fine,” Kurtz replied, not giving Zara a chance to.
> 
> “I wasn’t asking you, sewer rat,” she gritted out.
> 
> Zara frowned. “Don’t talk to my boyfriend like that. And, to add on to his response, the trip was good. Shame you can’t hear about it. I don’t really trust werewolf hunters.”

The hallways of the Academy of Unseen Arts were dimly lit and silent when the front doors creaked open with Sabrina’s magic. “Technically, no outsiders of non-magical blood are allowed into the academy, but considering I’m the de facto leader of this school, I can bend some rules,” the witch said with a smirk to the Riverdale trio. She continued through the school with the others in tow.

Deep in the building sat a candle lit library. Aside from a student sleeping on a desk deep in the shelves, there was no one to report on the mortals. Nonetheless, the group creeped around the room while Sabrina looked at the various book titles closely. Being a naturally curious girl, Zara longed to flip through the books labeled with the oddest titles relating to such problems like appropriate cauldron material. But, she kept her curiosity at bay by reminding herself why she was here in the first place. The group kept weaving around the shelves until Sabrina stopped and whispered, “This might be it.” She stood in front of red book with black lettering. When she pulled the monster sized book off the shelf, Zara peered down at the title. It read  _The Lycanthropy Curse_.

Jughead chuckled quietly and muttered ‘curse.’ Sabrina glared at him at him for a moment and then, went back to examine the book. She started flipping the pages while Zara peered over her shoulder. Various chapters explaining the full moon, the bite, and transformations filled the book, but none of it was useful to them at this point. Sabrina stopped flipping and sighed. “Let me make this process go a little faster,” she whispered. She waved her hand around the book and quietly uttered words, which, from Zara’s brief knowledge, sounded like a spell. Suddenly, the book began flipping on its own rapidly until stopping at a page with a morbid illustration. It was of a dark-haired woman with her hands above her head, fingers pointing towards a massive beast. Her mouth was open in a scream. Peeling her eyes away from the picture, Zara went in front of Sabrina to read the adjacent page.

_Witches and werewolves have been mortal enemies since the warlock Lycan was cursed by the Dark Lord to live a life as half man, half wolf. Satan also put into this spell that the only beings who could control werewolves to do their bidding are witches and warlocks._

“No wonder we’re enemies,” Kurtz commented, glancing at Sabrina. Zara looked at the both of them before reading the rest of the passage.

_Sacrificing werewolves to Satan can allow magical beings access to the untapped force of nature. However, a group of warlocks in the late seventeenth century abused this power, leading Satan to condemn this practice._

“Well, that answers one of the sacrifices,” Zara huffed. “What about the rest?”

Sabrina pursed her lips and responded, “Maybe, the werewolf sacrifice only gives them the initial opening to the magical core. Probably, the warlock needs to keep sacrificing in order to continue the access. And, transfer that magic to lesser magical beings.”

“That still doesn’t answer why the warlock is only attacking past residents of the sisters,” Jughead added.

“We wouldn’t be able to find that information here, Jug,” Zara responded.

Sabrina led the three out of the school without a hitch and transported them back to the train station. Zara gave her a small hug on the platform and waved goodbye while Jughead returned the rental car on his phone and Kurtz swayed on the balls of his feet.

“ _Next train arriving in five minutes. Please stand clear of the edge.”_

Zara approached Kurtz slowly, taking note of his empty expression. Kurtz heard her footsteps and exhaled deeply. “If I had better management of my pack, there would’ve been no sacrifices.”

“Kurtz…” Zara started. “You can’t blame yourself. You couldn’t have known.”

The wolf turned to face her, but said nothing. In response, Zara looked up at him. The train zoomed passed them, but the two paid no attention to it.

* * *

 

Kurtz’s eyes lingered on Zara as she went to lie down in the sleeping bag. “What are you doing?” he whispered softly.

Zara didn’t turn as she replied, “Going to sleep. Why?”

“You can sleep in the bed,” he said, raising the comforter on the empty side. Zara eyed him for a moment and then, shook her head. “Why not?”

“Look, just because we slept in the same bed last night does not negate the fact that it was an  _act._  Go to sleep, Kurtz.” Zara should’ve followed her own command instead of staring up at the ceiling the entire night. She crawled out the sleeping bag around six in the morning to use the bathroom. Her face was sallow, dark circles now seemingly permanent under her eyes. When she opened the door into her bedroom, she saw Kurtz sitting up, his feet on the ground. He didn’t bother looking at her as he brushed passed her to go into the bathroom. Zara shut her eyes for a brief moment to control her emotions and then, proceeded to get dressed.

When the two quietly walked out of the house, they didn’t speak to each other while walking to school. Right before they walked through the school entrance, Zara grabbed Kurtz’s hand and planted a smile on her face. Kurtz didn’t question it and kept his face neutral.

“Zara!” The pair turned around in the direction of the voice. Veronica walked towards them, heels clicking against the linoleum. “How was your trip to Greendale?” she asked with a grin.

“It was perfectly fine,” Kurtz replied, not giving Zara a chance to.

“I wasn’t asking you, sewer  _rat,_ ” she gritted out.

Zara frowned. “Don’t talk to my boyfriend like that. And, to add on to his response, the trip was good. Shame you can’t hear about it. I don’t really trust werewolf hunters.” Dragging Kurtz along with her, Zara walked away to her locker. When the coast was clear, Zara let go of his hand. She looked at him briefly and opened her locker. “You okay?”

“You didn’t need to defend me,” Kurtz replied, leaning against the lockers. “I’m perfectly capable of doing so myself.”

“I know you are, but we have to keep up appearances.” Kurtz didn’t say anything after and walked to his locker. Zara shut her locker and pulled out her phone, sending a short text to Jughead

“ _Pack meeting at lunch. Don’t let Veronica come. I’ll explain there…”_

* * *

 

Jughead walked down to boiler room, Archie in tow. Zara was already there with Kurtz, talking softly. “I decided not to bring Betty. V and B are a package,” Jughead said, coming closer to the couple. “Are you going to tell us why we shouldn’t have brought Veronica?”

Archie beat Zara to respond and said, “I agree with Zara on her decision. Veronica can’t be trusted with sensitive information.” Zara nodded when Jughead looked over at her. “So, what happened in Greendale?” Archie stayed quiet while the three rehashed the events.

Jughead paused to let Archie ask any questions, but he shook his head. “I was up last night, thinking about motives. Archie… I honestly think the hunters may be behind this.”

“I wouldn’t put it passed them,” Kurtz added, clenching his fists. “But, how did they get their hands on a warlock? Sabrina never mentioned a  _close_  connection between their kind and hunters.”

Zara pulled out her phone and said, “Let me just send her a text. Even if they have no connection, she might still know  _something_.”

As Zara texted the young witch, Kurtz looked closely at Archie, who looked pensive. “What’s on your mind, Andrews?” Kurtz deadpanned.

“I have to ask Veronica,” the red head responded. Jughead let out a long sigh and shook his head. “Jug, if anyone’s gonna know-“

“I would rather wait for a response from Sabrina,” Jughead interrupted.


	13. Unnecessary Drama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What exactly are you insinuating?” Veronica sneered. “I would do nothing to hurt Archie.”
> 
> “That probably was true, until Archie got bit. Things changed then. A part of you still loves him, but a part of you wants him dead as well. Am I wrong?”

“Zara!” The girl in question turned around to see Jughead rushing out of the school entrance to her at the bottom of the entrance stairs. He stopped at the bottom step and held out his hand, palm out for her to stop. “Don’t go in yet; I gotta fill you in.”

“On what?” Zara asked impatiently. It didn’t help that yesterday she experienced yet another sleepless night because her ‘roomie’ was out all night no doubt getting high. “What could’ve possibly happened? I saw you yesterday.”

“Don’t shoot the messenger. Betty thought it ‘prudent’ to let you know. Veronica broke up with Archie.”

“Ok, that sucks. And? I feel like you’re leaving out something important.”

Jughead scratched the back of his head through his beanie. “Veronica blames you.” Zara chuckled at that. “Laugh now, but she’s raising hell in school. Even Cheryl’s afraid of her.”

“Listen, she’s none of my concern. Let the wannabe huntress think she’s important for the day.” Zara then walked around him to enter the school. It was already 8:15, and Kurtz was nowhere to be seen. But, across the hallway, she saw mop of red hair racing towards her. She waved at Archie, who seemed frazzled to say the least.

“I’m assuming Jug told you?” Archie asked quietly once he came up to Zara. “I’m sorry, Zara. I tried to keep Veronica ‘appeased,’ but once we left her out of the mini pack meeting yesterday, she lost it. To be honest, everyone was pissed. Veronica and Betty knew something was up when we were all missing from lunch. Then, Veronica told Reggie at Le Bonne Nuit, and Reggie told Moose. Since Moose was at practice, and so was Cheryl, Cheryl learned about it. And, if Cheryl knows-”

“Toni knows. I get it, Andrews. Everyone  _fucking_  knows. This is my problem, why? I’m not the fucking alpha. You  _agreed_  to excluding them.” Of course, she knew why. Archie  _always_  listens to her. “Next time, think with your brain instead of your dick.” She put your hand up to stop him from interrupting. “Don’t even argue against it; everyone knows why Veronica got pissed in the first place. Excluding her was just the last straw.” Fuming, Zara looked for an opportunity to get away from the wolf. And, it arrived. From her peripheral vision, she saw Kurtz saunter away to his locker, only five minutes until class. She rushed off towards him, leaving Archie gob smacked.

Once Zara approached Kurtz, she rolled her eyes at him. “What did I do now?” Kurtz asked, grabbing his textbook.

“Nothing. Clearly, it’s all  _my_  fault.” Kurtz raised a brow. “Don’t concern yourself with it. Any luck with finding an emissary?” He shook his head. “Keep trying.”

“Why? I thought you hated my plan of making a new pack.”

“I don’t  _hate_ it. I just don’t agree with your methods. But, finding an emissary can give us some much-needed defense against a warlock.”

“You gonna let your pack in on that information, or is it a little secret between the two of us?” he asked with a smirk. Zara took the textbook in her hand and smacked his arm. “Was that supposed to hurt?”

She scowled. “I’ll tell them, soon enough. They’re dealing with trivial drama at the moment, and I need to steer clear of it,  _apparently_. See you at lunch.”

XXXX

Come lunch time, Zara and Kurtz were spotted outside, sitting at the benches. Zara was on her laptop with fifty some tabs open, researching emissaries. Unfortunately, Sabrina still hadn’t contacted her, so that portion of the case was at a pause. At least, Zara can focus on the other parts. “I think I should tell my mom that all of the victims were with the sisters at one point. I’ll leave out the fact that your emissary, Jimmy Riddle, was involved in your gang.”

Kurtz nodded, not looking up from his book. “I think that’s a good idea. I mean, she probably has deduced that, but it doesn’t hurt to enforce the hunch,” he replied. Before Zara could tell him about her research, Kurtz looked up from his book, brows furrowed. Zara followed his line of sight and sighed. Veronica was making her way to their table furiously… well as furious as one can be with obscenely high heels on. “Do I want to know?” Kurtz asked, and Zara shook her head.

“Let me deal with it,” Zara said, getting up from her seat to face Veronica.

Veronica had a beaming smile on her face, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Haven’t seen you all day, Z. Much to catch you up on. Did you know what I did today?” she asked with a sweet voice.

“No…” Zara lied. “I’m not your keeper, sorry to say.”

Veronica laughed and looked towards Kurtz. “A hell of a jokester, isn’t she? Hey, is it a joke that you  _completely_ ruined my relationship with Archiekins? Or, maybe is it a joke that you let Archie fall  _madly_  in love with you?” She was seething, but the smile was still firmly planted on her face.

Zara looked at Kurtz, who swiftly turned his eyes back to his book. She then looked back at Veronica and gulped. “I hardly see why I’m to blame. It’s not my fault that Archie likes me.”  _Keep the momentum_ , said a tiny voice in her head. “If I really had wanted to break you and Archie up, it would’ve happened much sooner. I apologize if your ex-boyfriend didn’t exactly love you anymore because your father is constantly trying to  _murder_ him, and you have done nothing to quell the situation. Let’s see, when did it start? Oh yeah, after a ski trip of his went wrong because of your father. And, do you know why? Because Archie isn’t stupid. He probably thought how the hell did Hiram know he was going to be there? Oh wait,  _you_  paid for the trip.”

“What exactly are you insinuating?” Veronica sneered. “I would do  _nothing_ to hurt Archie.”

“That probably  _was_  true, until Archie got bit. Things changed then. A part of you still loves him, but a part of you wants him dead as well. Am I wrong?”

Veronica gave her a hard look before walking off, confirming to Zara as well as anyone who knew of the confrontation that Veronica was no longer welcome in the Dark Circle.

* * *

It was 7:30 on the dot when Kurtz pulled up into the Andrews driveway with Zara. Once the two stepped inside, Zara immediately picked up on the awkward tension oozing from Archie. She went to sit down next to Cheryl, who had her arm propped up on the armrest, supporting her head as she sighed audibly. “Who knew that a brooding Archie Andrews was even more annoying than the cheerful puppy we see daily?” she asked, exasperated. “I’m assuming you’re to blame,” she added, eyeing up Zara.

Zara went to deny it, but Archie beat her to the punch. “It was all Veronica’s fault, Cheryl. Don’t take it out on Z.” Zara muttered a thank you to him in response before looking around the room. Everyone looked tense, especially Betty. Her hands were balled up into fists and considering that Kurtz was crinkling his nose, Zara knew that Betty was breaking skin in her palms again.

“I’m sorry, B,” Zara quietly uttered. Betty looked up at her, but stayed silent as she uncurled her fists and rubbed her palms on her jeans. Zara then cleared her throat. “So, aside from the drama today, I realized that I should’ve let the rest of you on the information we received from Greendale. It was a poor decision on my part as paranoia got the best of me. I should’ve trusted my pack.” The kids nodded, eyes focused on her. “In Greendale, we realized that a witch or warlock obtains power from sacrifices. Power that can be transferred to other beings, those who do not have magic. The starting sacrifice is of a werewolf, hence why Kurtz’s werewolf friend was the first body to pop up. The only reason he was kept in the morgue longer than Chuck or our history teacher was because of his abnormal healing. We don’t know why they’re attacking previous patients of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, but we do know that it has to be someone from Riverdale. Otherwise, they wouldn’t know of the facility. Or, we had another hunch.” Zara paused, stealing a glance at Archie who’s veins were popping out of his arms due to his tenseness. “We believed that a hunter may be employing the warlock to not only kill a werewolf, but also give them a reasonable excuse to come and hunt you all. If they can pin the blame on werewolves, according to the code, they can come and kill you. It is fully justified in the hunters’ council.

“Another thing is, the werewolf killed happened to be a son of a powerful witch who also is a seer. A person who can see into the future,” Zara clarified.  “The boy, Jimmy Riddle, was Kurtz’s emissary. We feel that this might have some correlation,” she finished, allowing the others to process the information.

Jughead squinted at Kurtz and asked, “Why didn’t you think it to be vital for us to know this sooner?”

Kurtz shrugged, to which Zara rolled her eyes and proceeded to explain. “He didn’t want to say this, but he’s planning on building up his pack again.” Hearing that, Archie snarled. “Archie, calm down. If you lost your pack, you would do the same. This time, Kurtz wants to start with an emissary, but none of the candidates are showing any potential in any magic, let alone fortune telling.”

“You want a weapon, essentially?” Betty asked, folding her hands on her lap. “If we have a warlock or witch, then we can have a fighting chance.” Kurtz nodded, leaning back against the sofa. “It’s a good idea.”

Zara nodded, then felt a buzz in her pocket. She took out her phone and saw Sabrina’s name in the notification. Unlocking her phone, she held out her hand to stop the others from continuing the conversation. She read it silently and let out a large exhale through her nose. “Sabrina just texted me back,” she said loudly. In response to Cheryl’s confusion, she added, “I asked the witch who helped us if there was any connection between werewolf hunters and witches. Apparently, hunters hunt anything that hurts the normal human race. Essentially, the natural are protected from the supernatural. Some centuries ago, witches and warlocks were excluded from this supernatural bunch after some respected witches decided to… help out with werewolf extermination. So yeah, witches and hunters get along because they both want you guys dead.”

Archie rubbed his eyes with his palms and sighed. “So, the hunters are involved in this somehow. And, we were telling Veronica everything until Zara realized. God, I’m so stupid!” He got up from the chair, protests from Toni and Cheryl silenced with a flick of his hand.

After a moment of awkward silence, Reggie cleared his throat. “So… does this mean I should stop working for Veronica?” which awarded him with a punch from Moose.

“Dude?” Moose questioned, shaking his head. “But, honestly, maybe you should,” he added. Zara nodded, then looked back at the kitchen where Archie stormed off to. She was about to get up before Kurtz himself went back into the kitchen. Archie heard the omega come in and took a deep breath. “I’m fine,” he assured. “Tell Zara to stop worrying.”

“That’s not why I’m here,” Kurtz deadpanned.

“Then, why’d you follow me in here?”

“I need to know if you are going to pursue Zara.”

“ _Pursue_? This isn’t a Jane Austen novel, dude. I’m not going to  _pursue_ her. I need time to get over Veronica.” Archie looked up at him, suspicious. “But, why do you care?” Kurtz didn’t respond, but Archie got the drift and began laughing. “You can’t be serious. Like anyone would let you,” he snarled.

“If you care so much for Zara, then you wouldn’t have allowed her to suffer in Veronica’s hands because Veronica knew how much you love Zara. You played Veronica, and Zara is facing the consequences.”

“You know  _nothing_  about my relationship with Zara. I…” he trailed off, looking at his feet.

“You  _what_ , Andrews?”

“I love her,” to which Kurtz snorted. Archie scowled at him and asked, “What’s so funny?”

“If you love her so much, why weren’t you the one to break up with Veronica? You have too many issues to give Zara the love she deserves.”

“And you don’t have issues? That’s rich, coming from a guy who was so high to not only make his life shit but also cause the deaths of each and every single person of his pack. At least, my issues don’t result in  _death_.” Instantaneously, Kurtz wolfed out, growling at the alpha.

Meanwhile, in the living room, all of the wolves were red faced, staring at each other due to the conversation they were eavesdropping until the loud growl caused them all to get up. “What the hell’s going on in there?!” Zara screamed.

“Stay here, Zara,” Jughead commanded. “You’ll just make things worse.” Zara stopped in her tracks, furrowing her brows as the three wolves ran over to the commotion.

Jughead rushed into the kitchen to see the two wolves on the ground, Kurtz having the upper hand and punching Archie’s face. Reggie snarled and wolfed out to grab Kurtz off of Archie, but the ex-alpha was stronger than an average beta and escaped the hold to hit Archie again. But, Archie expected the attack and scratched Kurtz’s side deeply, causing the other wolf to howl. Unable to handle the noise of the commotion anymore, Cheryl ran in and screamed, causing everyone in the house to clutch their ears. All of the wolves returned to their human forms and calmed down.

Slowly, Zara walked into the kitchen to take in the state of the room and the two wolves who were brawling. “What the fuck, guys?” she asked in disbelief. She looked down and ushered Kurtz. “Come on, we’re leaving. I’ll see you guys in school tomorrow,” she added, leaving the room. Kurtz trailed her, his head down.

The car ride was unbearable, neither one of them wanting to speak until the other one did. It began pouring outside, so once Kurtz parked in the woods, the two ran into the house. Luckily, Zara’s mother wasn’t home to hear the commotion.

It was Kurtz who spoke first. “I’m fine. Nothing major happened,” then started up the stairs, and Zara stared at him for a few seconds before following him, wet hair leaving droplets on the wooden stairs. When she walked into her room, Kurtz was already peeling off his jacket. So, Zara decided to grab clean clothes and went to change in the bathroom.

She was pensive in thought as she changed. Still thinking, she went to dry her hair, but was brought out of her thoughts when she heard loud noises from her bedroom. She turned off her dryer to hear objects being thrown. Furious, she came out of the bathroom.

“Cut the bullshit; you’re not alright,” Zara said, fully taking in the state of her bedroom turned upside down. “What’s wrong with you?!”

Kurtz turned around, a frown marring his face. He stomped towards her, his face inches away from hers. “I can’t understand what’s happening to me,” he whispered.

“Tell me, and we can figure this out together.” Her hand lightly brushes against Kurtz’s, but he stepped back in response. Zara’s eyes watered, and she shook her head. “You can’t just bottle up your feelings and hurt the people around you because you can’t understand your thoughts! Why are you tormenting me?!”

“Because I fucking love you!”

Zara stepped away from him until her back was against the bathroom door. “No, you’re not,” she said firmly. “You’re delusional.”

“Who are you to tell me my emotions aren’t real?” Kurtz sneered. “I love you. I’ve had an inkling but I absolutely knew when we went to Greendale.”

“You absolutely knew  _nothing_! Just because I’m nice to you, and I give you a place to stay does not mean I’m a good person for you to be with!” Zara screamed, breathing heavily after. “Now, clean up my room, and we can forget about this conversation.” She then went to grab her sleeping bag. “And, let me be perfectly clear: you hurt one of my friends  _ever_ again, I will no longer cut you any slack. You are my enemy from that day onward,” she stated, then exited the room.


	14. Who's Next?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I feel like you know something about that fight you’re not letting on,” Jughead inquired, squinting his eyes.
> 
> “Of course, there is, but who said you were privy to that information?”
> 
> “Well, we are a pack-“

To say Kurtz was mortified would be an understatement; he wanted to bury himself into the deepest ditch possible. For the first time in his life, he regretted his words. He rubbed his chest as he stared up at the ceiling of Zara’s room, the trowel texture eating him alive as his heart started thumping faster and faster. Rejection, clearly, did not sit with him well. 

Becoming dizzy from gazing at the ceiling, Kurtz swung his legs over the bed and gripped the edge of mattress tightly. Turning his head, he looked down at the sleeping girl and sighed. For her to reject him so easily was, honestly, quite a shock to him. Not that he believed he was some sort of a ‘catch,’ but he believed that they had bonded somewhat over the trials they had faced this past month alone.

Gritting his teeth, he tried to stop himself from getting infuriated. How dare she… Kurtz had never felt this way about anyone before, and he expected Zara to reciprocate the feelings because she was his first love. Selfish wouldn’t even cover that thought process, but the omega couldn’t care less. He wanted her, needed her. A few obstacles never killed anyone, least of all him. 

* * *

“Did you talk to Archie after I left?” Zara asked Jughead quietly, who sat across from her in the cafeteria. It was just the two of them now, seeing as the rest of the pack were still mentally recovering from the last meeting.

“I tried, but he was a little too distraught and yelled at me and Betty to leave-“

“I’d imagine,” she whispered.

“I feel like you know something about that fight you’re not letting on,” Jughead inquired, squinting his eyes.

“Of course, there is, but who said you were privy to that information?”

“Well, we are a pack-“

“It was a redundant question,” Zara deadpanned. “Listen, Kurtz has a fucked-up mind. Archie feeding straight into it was stupidity on his part. Kurtz wanted to rile him up, and the boy wonder fell into the trap.”

“I really think it should be you who talks to Archie first. I mean, he clearly likes you-“

“So I’ve been made aware,” Zara sneered. “If it wasn’t for those pesky feelings, we wouldn’t have made an enemy out of Veronica fucking Lodge. I mean, Hiram was holding off until now. Who’s to say he won’t just release all of his psychotic hunters on us because we hurt his mija.”“I’m not saying Archie wasn’t stupid-“

“And yet, I’m the one who has to make amends. Even though I didn’t ask for any of this!” she yelled but sank down into her seat as the whole cafeteria turned towards the source of the outburst. Much quieter now, she explained, “I cannot be held accountable for Archie’s or Kurtz’s actions. You need to go talk to Archie because he’s your best friend.” Zara stood up from the bench and begrudgingly, threw out her uneaten lunch all the while imagining starving children. 

* * *

As Zara descended the steps of the school, she contemplated calling Sabrina so that she could talk to someone who didn’t know of the whole high school romance drama. Before she could take out of her phone thought, a hand grabbed her from the bottom of the stairs and dragged her off to the side of the building. She went to yell at the snatcher but instead scowled, looking up at Kurtz’s face. “What the hell do you want?”

“You to like me back-“

“And, as I’ve stated before…” Zara trailed off as Kurtz began to laugh. “What’s so funny?”

“See, you’re under this false impression that I care. I was patient with all of the bullshit I had to put up with ever since I moved in with you and played house with the Red Circle. That ends now. You all have gotten absolutely nowhere in the case and instead, are focused on the romantic life of your alpha. News flash, I don’t care if Archie likes you. He’s just an obstacle for me.”

Zara opened her mouth, but she couldn’t think of an appropriate reply. What was going on with Kurtz? “Why are you acting like this, all of a sudden? Is this what happens when someone rejects you? Get used to it; you’re not the slightest bit boyfriend material.”

“You think this comes down to mere relationship status?” He chuckled, all the while, gripping Zara’s shoulders tighter. “I want you as my mate. You know, I always thought that there was something missing from my pack, and now I know. I needed an anchor, a support. All this while, I had been searching for an emissary, I didn’t realize how much I needed you as well.”

“What do you mean ‘had?’” Zara asked, diverting the conversation. “You stopped searching for an emissary?”

“Yes, because I found one. Long while back after your accident, someone finally tolerated the drugs and gave me accurate visions.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before? We could’ve told Archie! When we decided that having a magic wielder on our side would be advantageous, why didn’t you-“

“You think I want Archie’s gang to utilize my weapon? I spent weeks recovering from my loss, only for the almighty Red Circle to reap the benefits of my pack’s demise.”

“Archie did no such thing-“

“Are you certain of that? Him having dated Veronica Lodge at the time and finally becoming the alpha of the only pack in Riverdale, you’d say that he didn’t find pleasure in the fact that he was no longer being persecuted or fighting for territory?” Kurtz smirked as Zara looked down at her shoes, unable to deny the things he said. “You’d rather care about the emotions of someone who takes pleasure out of other people’s misery? Be my fucking guest. Just know that I have done more for you in under a month than those people have for two years. You don’t even realize-“ Kurtz cut himself off as he saw a tear escape from Zara’s eye. During this hesitation, the girl broke free of his grasp. “Zara, I-“

“Save it; you’re not wrong,” she said lowly, sniffling. “I’ve always done everything slightly logistical for them, and now, they’re all shunning me for not accepting Archie’s love.”

“Wolves will always follow their alpha, even if you are to be more credited for their survival,” Kurtz informed. “I’m… sorry for making you emotional.”

“And, I’m sorry for hurting you,” Zara replied, wiping tears from her cheeks. “Let’s go home.”

* * *

“You know what I’ve realized?” Zara asked, rolling herself away from her desk. 

“What?” Kurtz inquired, sitting up in bed, reading his textbook. “That the pack is every bit as pathetic as I believe?”

Zara rolled her eyes. “No. I just realized there hasn’t been a sacrifice since the warlock’s henchman tried to kill me. It’s just really weird for them to take such a long break…”

“Two weeks is hardly a break. They used to do weekly killings. Now, they just skipped one.” Kurtz shut his textbook. “Unless, you’re thinking that they might be planning something. Something bigger.”

“I don’t know what to think. A part of me wishes…”

“What?”

“That there would be another sacrifice.” Zara shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. “It sounds awful, but I hate having to be concerned for Betty, Polly, and all of the others who were ever at the Sisters. Because even if your beta or emissary was killed first, there is a clear trend with the ‘mortals’ being killed.”

“I couldn’t care less for your friends, but… I understand your qualms.” Kurtz stood up from the bed and slipped on his shoes. Zara raised a brow at his actions, and he explained, “I’m going to see my emissary. Have him actually hone in his visions to what we need.” He walked over to the window and pushed it open. Swinging a leg over, he looked back at the girl. “Be awake when I come back. I’ll need to someone to rehash all of the info to before I forget it.” Zara nodded and then, Kurtz jumped down to the grass. 

* * *

Kurtz parked his car at the edge of the woods near the rail tracks. Stepping out of the vehicle, he listened closely to see if anyone was around him. He heard a singular heartbeat in the forest, and he smelled that it was his emissary. Transforming, Kurtz ran into the woods and shifted back once he saw the familiar dark hair. “Thanks for meeting with me on such a short notice,” he greeted.

The other man nodded. “Of course. What do you need me to do?” he asked.

“I need you to find out who’s next.”

“K-kurtz I-I don’t think I can do that,” the man stuttered. “I mean, it’s been barely a couple of weeks since I found out I could do stuff like this.”

“Listen, the more pressure you’re under, the faster you learn.” Kurtz then brought out fizzle rocks from his backpack and passed the packet to the other. “Now, chew.”

The two sat down on the clear ground, waiting for the effects of the drugs to settle in. Kurtz kept a strong gaze on the emissary, who had his eyes closed. “Okay, I think I’ve meditated enough,” the man huffed out.

“How do you feel?” Kurtz asked, listening to the calm heartbeat from the other.

“Amazing… What do you need me to see?”

“Who’s going to be sacrificed next.” The emissary’s heart rate spiked. “Calm down, otherwise you’ll be taken out of the mindset. Just focus on what I’ve told you about the warlock and go from there.” The emissary nodded and then, the forest was quiet except for the two men breathing. 

It was about thirty minutes before the emissary gasped and opened his eyes. Kurtz got closer to him and held the man’s head. “What did you see?” he asked loudly.

“His next sacrifice… a red headed girl. Couldn’t get a clear image of her face, but she’s next…”

“When?”

“Tomorrow night.”


End file.
